Enchanted Mirrors
by DemolitionLvr
Summary: Rapunzel rewrite. With the help of her best friend Raven, and new friends Richard, Victor, and Garfield, Princess Koriand'r must reclaim her throne from her villainous older sister. Pairing- RaeRob.
1. The Premise

**Enchanted Mirrors** (Name Changed from "Un Nouveau Conte de Fees" May 13, 2012)

**Chapter One- The Premise**

Once upon a time, on a planet far, far away, a beautiful red-headed princess was born to the very happy King and Queen. The young princess was very much doted upon by all those around her, but by none so much as her parents, for they had wanted very long for a child to be heir to the throne of their planet Tamaran- it mattered not that she was a female, or a second-born, as long as she would be just and strong. They found her to be both in great measure.

They named her Koriand'r, a name with a beautiful meaning. The young princess wore it with pride.

When she was six, Koriand'r met her best friend.

As different as night and day the two young girls were. Where Koriand'r was happy and enthusiastic, Raven was dark and subdued. They had met entirely by chance, for really their paths never should have crossed. But Koriand'r, incorrigibly curious as a tyke, stumbled one day into an inter-dimensional portal, and came out the other side in Raven's home of Azarath. Built on a small rock suspended in nowhere and nothing, the city refuged Earthlings who shared a belief in complete pacifism. Koriand'r's sudden and unexplained appearance startled many of the citizens. They all fled from the marketplace where she had arrived- all but another young girl. The purple-eyed seven-year-old reached down to the strange orange-skinned six-year-old, helping her to her feet and thus solidifying forever their friendship as only children can.

The normally quiet and composed Raven grew excited as she spoke with the always talkative and giddy Koriand'r about their respective homes, powers, and parents- completely honest about all. Raven revealed that she got her powers from her demon father, and Koriand'r revealed that her parents had chosen her as heir over her elder, flightless sister because the latter was seen as deformed by their people. When Raven's mother, Arella, found her with a stranger, they had already grown so close that, upon Arella and several others' attempt to drag the alien youth away from her daughter, Raven screamed at her to "Leave my best friend alone!" Raven's dark energy lashed out in anger as it hadn't done in more than two years. She trained too hard to lose control.

The Azarathians immediately gave Raven what she wanted: they let the red-haired princess go and allowed the two to play as long as they wanted. Well, they played as long as they could, until Koriand'r realized that her parents would be very worried. She did not wish to leave her new friend alone, as she knew Raven had been until her arrival. Confiding this fear in her new best friend, Koriand'r was surprised to find that she had feared the same- and received a gift from Raven.

Secretly placing a small, rectangular mirror in Koriand'r's hand, Raven explained that through them they could speak at any time without fear of being overheard. The mirrors would also inform the other if one was in danger.

"Danger?" Koriand'r asked. "What kind of danger would either of us get into?"

Young Raven looked with worry at her innocent new best friend, but chose not to answer. Hopefully, she was just being pessimistic as usual, and they would never need that particular ability of her mirrors.

Goodbyes were said, and the two girls never saw each other again- in person, that is. Koriand'r had to train to take the throne one day, whereas Raven could not leave Azarath- by law, if she did she would never be allowed to return. Instead, they spoke almost daily to each other via their enchanted mirrors. It comforted both greatly throughout the years.

Komand'r never knew of this friendship. As a child, Koriand'r kept it a secret, something she had that her older-by-eight-years sister did not. Two years later Komand'r rebelled and their parents exiled her, so never did she discover her little sister's friendship with an incredibly powerful half-demon.

The day the Gordanians attacked, the sky glowed with the yellow light of Tamaran's sun. When the aliens' fighter ships blocked out the sun's rays, the King entreated Koriand'r hide; he understood what was happening the moment he saw Komand'r at the front lines of the invasion.

The twelve-year-old Koriand'r sprinted to her study, dodging falling objects as the ground and building shook from the impact of enemy weapons, and found her mirror right where it should have been, in the top drawer of her desk. She called out frantically to Raven. The response was immediate. Purple eyes flashed across the mirror in worry- the mirror had informed Raven that her friend was in danger. Koriand'r immediately felt a surge of relief. It did not last long.

As the scared princess informed her friend more fully of what was happening, the solid wood doors of her study crashed open to reveal her older sister flanked by several Gordanians.

Setting the mirror down on her desk, knowing full well that she may never see it or her friend again, Her Royal Highness, Princess Koriand'r stood with all the dignity, pride, and anger of her race and station and faced her former sister.

"I would welcome you home, sister. However, you were banished after your attempt on my life, and your guests are most _certainly_ not welcome," she said coldly, her voice stiff with disdain for the destroyer of her home and trust. For hurting her subjects and her, Koriand'r would never forgive her sister.

Komand'r laughed condescendingly in her younger sister's face, flipping her dark hair back, degrading all of her words. "Oh, baby sister, that hurts, really."

Righteous fury filled the red-headed girl. Her hands and eyes glowed with brilliant green energy, which she threw at her traitorous sister. Her starbolts were swept away by Komand'r's hand, so instead she ran forward to fight hand-to-hand. This was likewise foiled by Komand'r's superior battle experience, and the Gordanians captured Koriand'r on the spot.

Thrashing in desperate protest, Koriand'r did the only thing she knew could save her: she screamed, "Help me, please!"

To Komand'r the display was comical. Laughing, she said, "Nobody can hear you, baby sister. Even if they could... They couldn't stop me."

Raven knew that she would never be able to return to her home once she left it- the Azarathians believed that once one leaves they give up the faith, and can never return. Never had she thought that she would leave the safety of her own dimension.

But Raven knew, more than anything, that saving her best friend was worth the sacrifice.

She left a note to explain her decision to her teacher and guardian, Azar, and with a swish of her dark blue cloak, a chanting incantation, and a pulse of black astral projection, Raven left her dimension, and arrived on Tamaran.

The thirteen-year-old sorceress followed, down lavish palace hallways, the party that had captured her still struggling best friend. She knew better than to rush situations. If there was a way to get Koriand'r out of this safely and without violence to prematurely provoke Komand'r, Raven wanted to find it and do it. As they dumped the now exhausted Koriand'r into a dungeon cell and returned to a fine looking throne room, Raven followed. At the moment, she knew she had to find what plans Komand'r and the Gordanians held in store for her friend.

As Komand'r took a lazy seat on her father's throne, the six Gordanians who had accompanied her in the capture of the true heir rejoined the ranks of their kind that filled the hall. The hall held several battalions of lizard-like aliens, all fresh faced- obviously they had not faced battle that day. That they had enough troops to leave so many idle would have scared a lesser opponent, but Raven looked at the weakling creatures with disdain. In numbers, not in strength or intelligence these aliens found their prowess. And if one were to take out the leaders, they would be left helpless and disorganized. A confident smirk graced her face, hidden deep within the cowl of her cloak. She disappeared into the shadows of the chamber. No one could see past her dark magic.

A Gordanian, larger than the others, and with a look of at least moderate intelligence, stepped forward to the usurper on her throne. Raven observed as he demanded payment for his service. Thanks to his troops, he declared, the invasion had taken merely a day. The new 'Queen' owed them much, he believed. Komand'r asked that he name a price. The number he gave appeared too hefty a sum for the self-proclaimed monarch.

"Is there any other way I can pay you for your services?" Komand'r asked charmingly. The ugly lizard-like leader, nodded.

"We will accept the young princess as a slave."

Raven could barely hold down the revulsion she felt at the very idea. However, she found herself becoming rather pleased with the turn of events as a plan for escape formed in her intelligent mind.

"Fine," Komand'r accepted with little grace. "Take the little twit. Much good she'll do you, weak little thing." It may have saved her quite a deal of wealth and stopped her parents' incessant pleas and cries, but she had hoped dearly to enjoy torturing and killing the greatest threat to her stolen power. But, the traitor conceded, it was not to be. Koriand'r was sure to be at least treated brutally as a slave.

Raven turned from the proceedings after details were decided upon, whereupon she returned to the dungeon of her best friend.

Passing the true rulers, who Komand'r had stowed away in their own dungeon, she removed the cowl of her cloak that obscured her face and smiled reassuringly at them. "Don't worry," she told them. "I will free Kory, and we will come back to dethrone Komand'r."

The Queen sobbed in earnest relief at the Azarathian's words, and as he held his wife to his chest the King thanked Raven for giving them hope. The empath waved away the thanks, and warned them not to believe when they hear of Koriand'r's death. "It's a key part of my plan. Trust me."

Raven walked into the dungeon cell holding a recently roused princess. When she saw her friend, Koriand'r nearly cried out in delight, but resisted for fear of eavesdroppers or guards- a worry in vain, for Raven had put all those nearby to sleep.

Quickly, knowing there was little time before the spell would lift and some Gordanians would arrive to take Koriand'r to their ship and depart, Raven explained the plan to her friend.

Koriand'r, though somewhat apprehensive, understood why it had to be done, and trusted that her wise and powerful friend would ensure her safety.

Which is why, when the Gordanians did come and take her to their ship, Koriand'r did not protest. She merely took comfort in the presence of a dark shadow following her, a shadow she knew to be her friend.

After several days on the Gordanian ship, a knocking came on Koriand'r's cell door. Recognizing the rhythm, the prisoner answered with a different pattern of knocks and prepared herself for the appearance of her friend. And sure enough, Raven phased through the door only moments later.

"Raven!" Koriand'r cried out in relief and happiness. Raven smiled briefly at the girl, and used her magic to remove Koriand'r from the heavy, nearly indestructible case trapping her hands and forearms.

"You remember the plan?" Raven whispered. Koriand'r nodded. Raven once again phased through the cell doors, this time grasping her friend's hand and pulling her through.

They stepped down outside the cell, and Koriand'r found them surrounded by unconscious Gordanians on all sides. The sight surprised her. She looked at her black-haired friend and asked, "Raven, were you not raised as a pacifist?"

Raven followed her gaze to the prone figures and observed sagely, "Sometimes, Kory, there are more important things."

They made their way through the ship to the captain's post. The captain of the ship, the same large Gordanian who seemed to rule the others, sat slumped in a chair, surrounded by other prone figures. At once Raven slapped him in the ugly face with a black tendril of energy, and he awoke.

The brute started flinging insults at the two young ladies. Raven disregarded them, as he had the approximate vocabulary of a foul-mouthed seven-year-old, but some of the curses hurled at them made Koriand'r flinch. Raven slapped the alien again with her power, harder this time, and he silenced himself.

Glaring at the sad excuse for life shrinking in its chair before her, Raven began, "Listen carefully."

Curling her lip onto a threatening snarl, she continued, "The memories of all of your men have been modified. Upon waking, they will remember, quite clearly, that Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran was killed by you in a savage and ill-fated escape attempt. In one week you will inform Komand'r that her sister died as she tried to return home to dethrone her. You may then wish to demand payment in monetary form, but that is up to your discretion. You will not remember me or the fact that Koriand'r is still alive. If you do and you decide to inform Komand'r, I will know, do not doubt that. And let me assure you now that you do not wish to displease me."

Finally trying to regain some courage, the Gordanian leader spat, "And why should I be afraid of you, little girl?"

Raven looked around at the surrounding warriors, all unconscious in their seats or on the floor, and raised an eyebrow. "Really? I easily could have killed all of these men, and you really wish to know why you should fear me?" Raven pondered for a moment. "Allow me to put this in terms you will understand," she coldly spoke as she approached the seat of command. When she was half a foot from the Gordanian's scared face, she suddenly grew four demonic, glowing red eyes and growled, "If you do not heed me, I will rip your soul out of your throat."

The Gordanian followed Raven's orders- not that he had much choice in the matter, since Raven's spells made him forget the actual truth regardless- and Komand'r was left to believe her sister dead, and pay the huge sum demanded of her by the mercenaries.

Raven brought her friend to Earth. The small blue planet teemed with life, and she knew of a place she and Koriand'r could hide for the coming years as they trained together to overthrow Komand'r. Raven knew that the black-hearted sister would be infinitely harder to defeat than the weak mercenaries she hired. Koriand'r needed to train diligently in fighting and battle strategy in order to entertain the possibility of reclaiming her throne.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****Chapter edited: March 17, 2012**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Koriand'r, Raven, Komand'r, Myand'r and Luand'r (the king and queen, who I just never got around to calling by name... whatever), the Gordanians, or the planet Tamaran. Rapunzel, however, is public domain, so I totally own that.  
><strong>

**Thanks for supporting me by reading! Please review!**

**Cheers**


	2. The Characters

**Enchanted Mirrors  
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**Chapter Two: The Characters  
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_Five years later_

Richard yanked back hard on the reins of his horse and looked at his surroundings.

Oh, bloody Hell. He was lost in this damned forest again.

He had no idea how this kept happening. He had never gotten himself lost before he had tried to make his way through this very forest. He had the training of a master detective, for God's sake. What did this forest do to send him on a circuit back out every single time?

He wouldn't let this happen again. He was looking for something in this forest and God damn it he would find it. Even if only to prove it didn't exist.

He tugged on the reins, steering his horse into the thicket of trees and shrubbery. The road obviously winded through ridiculous loops back to where it started, so maybe if he went off the path he would actually get somewhere.

For years tales of an evil witch holding a princess captive in this forest have pervaded this part of the kingdom. Richard personally thought it laughable; as if magic and princesses in need of rescue still existed. Such fairy tales had died out more than two hundred years ago. He lived in the eighteenth century, where science explained everything.***** People didn't need magic and such foolish legends to explain the workings of the world.

But then why was Richard hacking his way through a supposedly witch-inhabited forest? Indeed, he thought the endeavor a waste of time, but his father insisted.

Damn family traditions. Richard wasn't even blood related. Bruce Wayne just adopted him when his parents died.

And before he could even understand what had happened, Richard became the crown prince of the kingdom. Bruce told everyone that Richard's existence had been hidden because he was a sickly young boy, but was truly Bruce's only son. Lies, of course, but the people believed their King. Besides, the declaration kept the throne from being passed onto some rather unpleasant cousins, which relieved everyone except said cousins.

In any case, now Richard needed to find a wife. And in the fashion of the Wayne family, he had to save a princess in trouble and marry her almost before he learned her name. The perfect equation for marital bliss, King Bruce claimed.

Of course. That explained perfectly why Bruce remained a bachelor all his years on the throne. Hypocrite.

Dragging his thoughts and his horse back in a straight line, Richard checked a magnetic compass for direction. He needed to follow this wild goose chase deep into the forest. Shrugging one shoulder, he decided to continue forward. It wasn't like he would find anything anyway, so why not enjoy a leisurely ride through the woods.

The sun shone from high above him, seeping down through the canopy with a green glow. This forest, from the outside, looked like a dark, evil place. But once he had entered it- his third attempt in as many days, the frustrating woods- the aura had cleared, and it became sunny and bright. Birds chirped and sang to each other as he passed. It gave off a homey feeling. It made him want to stay and enjoy the feeling forever.

While thinking that, he ran into the barrier.

Walking on foot and leading his horse by the reins, the young prince crashed face first into an invisible force. He nearly fell over at the impact. Shocked past thought, for a moment he merely stood still, legs wide and arms spread out, in the position he had caught himself.

Slowly, the empirical nineteen-year-old reached out his large hand. As he stretched, his eyes narrowed, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever had created the clear wall.

With a light tap his finger met the force and from the spot his middle finger felt resistance a pulse escaped. Like the rings of disturbed water, black energy circled the spot and rippled outward, around the shape of the barricade. He only saw the black rings go a few meters, but he suspected that the wall stretched farther than that. Curiosity piqued, he knew he couldn't rest until he found what hid behind this mystic force field.

Hand trailing along the place in the air where he felt resistance, Richard walked for miles, observing the area and the black pulses that erupted wherever he touched the wall. His horse followed quietly. Richard noticed that the force went straight through trees and plants. He watched animals walk and fly through the barrier as if it didn't exist. It must only keep out people, he mused. He wondered what manner of science had created it.

As the sun slowly approached the West, bringing midday into afternoon, he wondered if he had traveled the circumference of the invisible wall. As the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly stifled a gasp, halted his horse, and hid behind a tree. For the first time since entering the forest he saw another person.

She was petite in stature. That was the extent of his knowledge for her every other feature she covered with a dark blue cloak. The hood covered her face, and dark blue shoes peaked out from under the hem of the cloth with every step she took.

The mystery woman walked with a quick pace; efficient but unhurried, as if she had no fear of another presence, as if she owned the forest. Her every movement exemplified grace and confidence. She approached the barrier, and stopped mere centimeters from it. Richard wondered how she knew exactly where it was. He quickly tied his horse's reins to a branch.

The woman, he just noticed, carried a woven basket, which seemed too big for her to carry alone, but she did it with apparent ease with one arm. She shuffled the basket to her other hand to free her right hand. Richard used her distraction as an opportunity to get closer without her notice. When she stopped moving so did he. Now they were only a few meters apart. He heard her say into the empty air, "Rapunzel."

Without warning a huge black pulsing ripple erupted around the barrier, and a whole appeared in it from the ripple's epicenter. The whole, edged by black energy, was large, and reached where Richard stood. Without thinking of consequences he entered.

Keeping a distance of around ten meters between him and the cloaked figure, he followed her through the forest. He could see no difference here from the forest outside the blockade- it still had a cheery air. The happy atmosphere seemed at odds with the hidden woman, wearing dark colors and hiding her face from the world. He wondered what she looked like.

The trees suddenly fell away and he almost walked straight into a clearing between two small, wooded hills, but he stopped short. All he could see in the clearing was a tall tower, right in the center. The tower didn't seem to have a door at the bottom, but before he could wonder how the woman would get into the tower, he nearly fell over from shock. She floated up to a small balcony and rapped thrice on the wooden shutters. They were thrown open by a pair of hands whose owner Richard could not see from his position. The cloaked figure entered the tower. The shutters were left open, but Richard could not hear or see anything going on inside. Instead, he found a soft piece of ground under cover of a tree and waited for the mysterious person or persons to re-emerge.

Once Koriand'r opened the shutters to let her in, Raven stepped into the tower and removed her hood. She gave her friend a nod of greeting and a small smile- the only kind she ever gave. Moving over to the kitchen of the open, one-room space, she set down the large basket on a table.

Koriand'r spoke first, of course. "Oh, Raven, how I have missed you these past few days! It was so boring without your company and sarcastic remarks. I hardly knew what to do with myself. So I read all of your books on Earth's history, and when those were complete I rearranged all of the furniture, but I did not like it the new way, so I put it all back, and then I flew around the forest and was so lucky as to witness some birds hatching. It was magical! And then I trained for some time-"

Raven interrupted her, "That's great, Kory."

Undeterred, Koriand'r asked, "Friend, how went your search?"

Shaking her head, Raven says, "Not well. I couldn't find anyone... Appropriate. But I appear to have picked up a tail on the way back, and I think he'll do."

Koriand'r gasped and began to float as she asked, "Someone followed you? Is he still here? How could he help? Do you know who he is? Where-"

"Kory! Calm down. We must approach this carefully."

Koriand'r stepped back on the floor, only slightly abashed at her friend's chastise. Her eyes continued to convey total trust and curiosity. "You have a plan, yes?"

Raven smirked, "Of course."

Richard sat in his little nook for hardly an hour when he saw the cloaked woman reappear on the balcony of the tower. She turned back to whoever she was leaving behind for a moment, and then once again levitated to the ground. Richard noted that she lacked her earlier burden. Now, not keeping any pretense of normalcy, the woman- witch, he thought even though he had never believed in magic- flew parallel to the ground back into the woods. She passed Richard by only a few meters, and for a moment he feared she would discover him, but she continued right past his hiding spot.

Richard watched her until she left his sight. She intrigued him- he felt a need to solve the mystery of her. Shaking off the ridiculous notion, he turned back to the balcony, to see a beautiful woman standing on it, gazing in the direction the witch had left.

While waiting for the hour at the base of a tree, Richard had had nothing to do except to sit and think. He had thought of the local tale that had brought him here- it said that an evil witch held a beautiful long-haired princess captive in a tower. The princess's name was Rapunzel. Looking at the girl on the balcony, he couldn't make out much of her features but he clearly saw that she had a large volume of deep-red hair that at least went to where the balcony cut off his vision at her waist.

So, trying to convince himself that he was not losing his mind, Richard walked out of the trees and approached the tower. The cylindrical walls were white washed and old looking. The red-head watched him with evident curiosity as he approached the tower. Feeling like a complete and utter fool, he called up to her, "Rapunzel, let down your hair?"

Giggling, Koriand'r jumped off the balcony and flew down to the man she had been waiting to approach. Her leap shocked him, and she thought it endearing.

Landing very close in front of him, she started talking in a voice of excitement and happiness, "Is not the English term 'to let one's hair down' a metaphor describing relaxation as the act of leaving the hair out of the tail of a pony or the round bread? Do you think me not relaxed? Or were you speaking to someone else? There is no Rapunzel here, I believe she abandoned this tower at least two hundred Earth-years ago or more."

Richard hardly showed a reaction to the long speech, though inside he felt confused and tried to work through some of the girl's awkward English. Her eyes were completely green, with no whites or pupils at all- that disturbed him a little.

While he was still unsure of what to say, she continued, "Why did you follow Raven through the forest?"

"Are you speaking of the witch in the cloak?"

"Well, I do believe she would take offense to being called a witch, but she does have a tendency to cover herself with a cloak when she leaves here. She does not very much like other people," she answered. "Oh, I am truly sorry, how rude I am being! My name is Koriand'r, Princess of the planet Tamaran. It is a pleasure to meet you!"

Richard watched her bow slightly and took the moment to actually see what she looked like. Koriand'r looked to be in her late teens, but she didn't really appear human. As hard as he found it to believe in aliens, or witches for that matter, she just did not pass as a normal human girl. Her skin was orange- not tan, orange. The hair that he had asked her to let down was deep red, and as large as her body; the large curls framed her head and tapered off at her mid-thigh. Her eyes, he had already noticed, were completely green, lacking whites and pupils, and glowed slightly. She wore a strange purple outfit which showed almost all of her body in a manner that his society would consider sinfully indecent, but the body she showed off was not soft and feminine in the way of human women. Her body had large muscles; she looked like she could beat him in a fight, despite his years of training in various martial arts. Combined with her strange speech and ability to fly, her appearance could perhaps convince Richard that Koriand'r came from another planet.

Bowing formally at the strange supposed alien before him, the prince formally introduced himself, "Your Highness, the pleasure is all mine. I am Prince Richard Grayson."

Koriand'r gasped, "Oh, you are a prince! That is terrible!"

Confused, he asked, "Why is that terrible? It means that I can protect you." He put a hand on her shoulder and tried to pull her back to the forest in the direction he had left his horse. "Come, we must leave before the witch comes back."

"I resent that."

The voice behind him made Richard pivot and face the speaker. The woman in the cloak had returned, and now glared at him. Rather, he thought she glared at him, but he couldn't be sure, as the cowl of her cloak still covered all but her nose, mouth and chin. She, he noticed, had very full lips. He didn't know why he noticed something like that at such a time.

The woman's feet stepped towards him, though she moved so fluidly that he would have sworn she floated again. While she advanced, her smooth monotone told him, "And Kory is right; if you're a prince then our plan won't work."

When she got what Richard thought was too close, he unsheathed his sword and quickly held the tip to her throat. She simply held her head high- some light reached through the thick darkness of her hood and her eyes shone at him haughtily.

Koriand'r, meanwhile, fretted and tried to mediate, saying, "Please, friends, do not fight, for one should only fight those who are evil, and none here are that!"

Still staring down the dark woman, Richard responded to Koriand'r, "On the contrary, Your Highness, I believe that trapping royalty in an isolated tower to be rather an evil act."

The woman on the tip of his sword scoffed, "Did not you just see Kory fly out of the tower? Obviously she is not trapped within. It is our home."

"What about the barrier? That still keeps her," he responded, still suspicious.

Under her hood, she rolled her eyes. He could practically hear the action in her voice, "Kory, how do you get out of the shield?"

The red-headed princess answered immediately, "I just approach it and say the password, 'Rapunzel,' and an exit opens."

The head above his sword tilted mockingly. He grudgingly withdrew his weapon, but, she noticed, he did not sheath it, rather kept it at his side, as if he feared her sudden attack.

"Then what plan won't work because I am a prince?" He addressed his question to Koriand'r.

Koriand'r looked to her friend, and Richard also looked back at her, though with reluctance. He still had no reason to trust what the hidden person said.

"How well trained are you in martial arts?"

The uncalled for question made Richard all the more suspicious. His eyes narrowed at her. Did she want to face him in combat? Was she gathering information? "Why?"

A sigh escaped her. "Because I plan to challenge you to a fight to the death," she deadpanned. At his widening eyes, her lips curled into a smirk. It disappeared as she answered seriously, "We want you to train us in martial arts so that Kory can fight her very well trained, evil, murderous older sister for the throne of her planet."

The surprised prince looked back and forth from the two women, and asked Koriand'r, "So you actually are from another planet?"

Koriand'r nodded. "I was to take the Tamaranean throne after my parents, because my older sister was seen as crippled for her inability to fly, so she tried to kill me. She was exiled, but she soon returned with an army of mercenaries. Because of Raven, I escaped and my sister believes that I am no longer living. That was five years ago now. I am worried about my people under her rule. But I need assistance in learning hand-to-hand combat. Neither Raven nor I have experience in it, but my sister very much does. But since you are a prince, I do not believe you will be able to aid us, as you have your own duties to uphold."

Richard looked at the pleading eyes of the alien princess. Her beseeching expression countered her resigned speech. Truthfully, Richard was considering helping the two women. Instinct told him that he could trust the simpler, brighter Koriand'r, and he sympathized with her plight- he would do whatever it took to regain his kingdom if someone took the throne. But it was the other, darker woman who made him want to stay. She intrigued him. Her mystery needed solving, and he felt up to the challenge. And more than anything at that moment, he wanted to see her face. Something about the woman caught his attention. He wanted to know her. He sheathed his sword.

Once more trying to gaze into the darkness thrown by her cowl, he told the women, "Actually, I am on a journey to find a princess in need of saving. I suppose I have found one. I can teach you both how to fight." He grinned at Koriand'r, "Princess, once I have trained you to fight, you will be able to thrash your sister."

Koriand'r squealed in delight. She, still squealing, flew up to Richard and treated him to a hug that could crush one's bones. Her friend watched in amusement as someone other than her suffered Koriand'r's embraces.

Once Richard was released, he watched two hands part the dark blue cloak and pull down the hood.

She was beautiful. Richard nearly gasped. Beneath her cloak, a curvy figure hid, sporting a form-fitting dress of the same color blue. Like Koriand'r's skimpy body-suit, it revealed more of the body than he was used to considering proper- the floor length skirt of the tight dress was slit open on both sides of her hips, baring the length of her legs. She completed the outfit with simple matching pumps on her feet. Her face, surrounded by a thick mass of ebony black hair, captured his attention more, though. She had high cheekbones to match her full lips, and they suited her perfectly. Her eyes were a deep shape of violet, and held such an intelligent, confident expression. They held his gaze as she stepped forward and thrust out her hand to shake his like a man.

"Raven Roth. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

He took her hand, twisted it slightly, and planted a kiss on the back of it, looking her in the eye and lingering half a moment too long. "The pleasure is all mine."

It was enough to make even her previously untouched heartstrings twang a bit.

Straightening up, Richard asked, "So how long do I have in order to train you ladies?"

In a moment Raven was all business once again. "We were planning to go to Tamaran once Kory turned eighteen- which is in just over a year."

"A yeah, huh?" he mused. "If you want to become master fighters so quickly, the training will be rough, you realize?"

The two women stood tall. Koriand'r smiled, "We can handle it."

The smirk gracing Raven's face once more told him what she thought of his warning. He smirked right back.

Later, after spending several hours hearing the full story of Komand'r's hostile takeover and their escape, night had already fallen. The girls asked him to stay the night and gather his belongings in the morning, but Richard insisted on finding his horse and returning to the inn for one last night so he could pay the landlady and gather his few things he had been traveling with. Raven walked him to the edge of the woods, because, as she said, "You'll just end up getting lost if you try to make it out in the dark." He did not argue.

Deciding to forgo the first leg of their walk, Raven told him that she would teleport them to where he left his horse. Before he could ask what she meant by teleport, her arm had swept in a circle, producing a swirling circle of black before them, and grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him with her into the blackness.

When they exited the portal on the other side, he gasped in relief. The sensation of traveling distances through dimensions left him dizzy and a bit nauseated. As he tried to regain his bearings, their sudden appearance from a pool of black magic had frightened his horse, making him whinny and rear in fright. Richard took a shaky step forward to try to calm the horse, but his companion beat him to it.

Raven grabbed the reins hanging from the saddle with one hand and gently pulled the horse down on four hooves. As soon as his head was within her reach, she began patting him on the nose gently, and shushing him soothingly. The horse shook his head a few times and stomped his back hoof repeatedly. Raven crooned assurances in response. Slowly, the horse calmed down and began nuzzling his head into the gentle hand Raven offered him.

Observing a whole new, gentler side of the newest woman of his acquaintance, Richard felt all the more determined to understand her. Simple she was not, but he knew that making a study of her would be worth the effort- why, he could not comprehend, however. He simply knew.

Raven asked after the name of the horse butting his head against her hand. Richard told her he called him Robin. She nodded. "Robin," she murmured to the content horse. His ears perked up. Soon, she turned, leading the horse in the direction of the nearby village.

A comfortable silence settled on the two as they walked the rest of the way out of the forest. Richard knew that they could go faster if he mounted his horse and she levitated, but through an unspoken agreement neither did so. At the edge of the trees, Raven turned to him and bade him goodbye, adding, "We seem to have started our acquaintance poorly, but I hope that we shall remedy that. You have no idea how grateful I am that you are going to help us."

Richard smiled, "I'm glad to do it. And it is my fault we commenced badly, but I also hope we shall become friends, Miss Roth."

"Call me Raven," she told him. She despised formality such as the Earthlings did it.

"Only if you call me Richard," he countered.

She raised one eyebrow. "Alright then, Richard. We will see you in the morning. Will you be able to find your way back to the tower tomorrow?"

"Judging by previous experience in this forest, no," he said honestly.

Raven chuckled twice, quietly. "Then I'll meet you right here at nine. Until then." Raven disappeared in another pool of black.

Richard turned to Robin and asked of the horse, "What have I gotten myself into?"

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><p>AN: Ok, Raven and Kory's appearances are based on the comics. And in case anyone was wondering, yes, I've read the comics, I know all the characters' real backgrounds, I know their stories, so anything not in line with comic canon was purposely done.

_He lived in the eighteenth century, where science explained everything._* Ok, think late 18th c (Late 1700s, just to clarify). The Scientific Revolution was in full swing (among the elite in Europe). Francis Bacon had long since developed the empirical method (the idea of experimenting to prove a hypothesis). I believe that a person of Dick's personality, no matter what century, would take to the idea of proof before blind belief. So he would be intrigued by Raven. Plus she's pretty.

**Review please! Cheers**


	3. The Development

**Enchanted Mirrors  
><strong>

**Chapter Three: The Development**

The next day, Richard packed his sparse traveling belongings, paid for his three nights at the inn, and met Raven at the edge of the forest. He would be spending the year at the tower with them. They assured him that the tower had plenty of room for them all.

It was time to start solving his mystery.

Within a week he knew that Raven always awoke early, like he, and drank herbal tea instead of having breakfast; he knew that she spent at least an hour of every day in deep meditation; he knew that her powers were controlled by her emotions; and he knew, from Koriand'r, that they had been best friends since they were six and seven. In that week, he had a feel of the comparative physical strengths of the two girls and began teaching them basic defensive positions- defense was the first move he wanted ingrained in their minds when they fought. The two girls continued, with some assistance from him, to train their own powers- Raven practiced her telekinesis and astral projection, and Koriand'r practiced using her starbolts and eyebeams in fights.

Within a month he knew that every weekend Raven went by herself to a nearby town- not the one he had stayed in, one far enough that they did not have superstitions about their forest- to buy food and other supplies for the week- Richard started going with her; he knew that she never allowed light or other people in her bedroom- he got slammed against the wall by black energy learning that one; he knew that she came from a dimension called Azarath, and that she worshiped her former mentor, Azar, almost as a goddess; he knew she healed extraordinarily quickly; he knew that she could sense emotions through her powers of empathy- she told him that when they spoke she sensed curiosity and happiness from him, though when they trained she sensed his determination to succeed border almost obsession. By the end of the month he had taught them how to throw opponents, using their own weight and strength against them; he had them doing daily full-body muscle strength workouts, as well as cardiovascular exercises; he began teaching them how to handle a sword, with the hopes that they would never actually have to use them, as mastery of the blade would take much more than a year no matter how hard they could work.

Within six months and a night of shared insomnia and a pot of tea, he knew that a demon had begotten her; he knew that soon after she had met Koriand'r she had been forbidden from seeing her own mother so that she could resist all emotion and deny her father's power; he knew that Koriand'r was her only friend until she met him; he knew that they were friends; he knew a great many things about her habits and likes and dislikes. He observed her like the detective he thought he should have become- rather than a prince- and within six months, he thought he knew her. He knew she was the most incredible, truly awe-inspiring person he had ever had the pleasure to meet. But even as he thought he knew her, she always held a new surprise, a new facet of her past that she would tell him, and new portion of her identity that she would share with him- and he felt honored whenever she did. Within six months he had taught the girls the intermediate levels of three separate martial arts, and they became proficient is basics of swordsmanship.

Eight months gone, and the trio sat in the main room of the tower, pursuing their own tasks. Raven read, Koriand'r brushed her long, voluminous hair, and Richard wrote a letter to the King- he wrote them monthly. Bruce received a stilted version of what Richard was doing away from home for so long. Suddenly, Raven shot up from her relaxed position and unceremoniously dropped her leather-bound volume. The large tome made a loud thud that arrested the attention of her two companions.

"Friend Raven, is something wrong?" Koriand'r asked.

Raven looked at her, eyes relaxing once more. "Someone is in the forest."

Richard, standing, asked, "Do you have any way of knowing who it is?"

She shook her head, "No, but their feelings are… They are searching for someone. Much like you were, but less incredulous and more worried. I'm fairly certain they are both men."

Raven sat back onto her armchair, picking back up her fallen text. Richard watched her for a moment, before asking, "Are we not going to do something about them?"

She shook her head. "Not unless they make it to the barrier, at which point I would erase their memory; but hardly anyone makes it all that way. It took you three days to find it."

"How many have?" he asked.

"Including you, three." She went back to reading her book.

Twenty minutes later, she sighed in impatience. "Alright, now we have to go take care of them."

Richard stood once more and said, "I'm coming with you."

She shrugged. "Kory? Coming or staying?"

Koriand'r looked at Raven from underneath a huge tangled mess of hair- her attempts to fix it had only made it into a mass of knots and crazed curls. Raven breathed a short laugh at her friend's plight. "I guess not, then."

Without hesitating, Raven opened a portal and she and Richard stepped into it, holding hands- contact was not necessary for him to travel thusly, but he claimed it made the trip less disconcerting. They emerged near the barrier, a place similar to where Richard had first encountered it. They had not appeared directly in front of the pair of intruders, so Richard had a moment to stumble- never used to inter-dimensional teleporting- and ask a question that had been bothering him. "If you knew I was in the forest the whole time, why did you let me follow you and not just erase my memory?"

Raven looked at him with one raised brow as they walked side-by-side in the direction of the two strangers, as if wondering why he would ask that now of all times. He shrugged innocently. He just wanted to know. She sighed and rolled her violet eyes. "Because I had just come from a trip to find a martial arts teacher for us and failed because all the men I spoke to were either incompetent or disgusting, and you had the aura of a warrior. I was taking a chance to see if you could help."

"Disgusting?"

The things this man latches onto, she thought exasperatedly. "They tried to make passes at me. They were bawdy and uncouth and poor examples of men."

Richard could imagine how less moral men would act so towards such an attractive and sensual woman. However, he did not like the idea. Changing the subject neither of them liked, he asked, "So do these two have warrior auras?"

"Not as strongly as you have, but yes, I imagine they are strong and nearly as well-trained. They are right there," she said, pointing towards two figures still a fair distance away.

Richard had a nagging suspicion looking at the pair, but didn't mention anything as they continued to advance towards them. When they were about twenty meters away, however, Richard couldn't ignore it any longer- he recognized the men. He burst out laughing.

Raven looked at him, sensed his emotions- for she had a tendency to block them out as a courtesy- and realized the reason for his outburst. "Who are they?"

"They are Victor Stone and Garfield Logan. Knights in my father's cavalry, and my best friends from back home. I can't believe that they are here." With that, he walked up to his two old friends.

When they heard footfall behind them the two knights unsheathed their swords, but upon seeing the very man they were looking for, they cried out in disbelief, sheathed their swords, and ran forward to shake their friend warmly by the hand.

The larger man of the two, African in descent, asked Richard, "Where have you been, Your Highness? His Majesty has not been pleased with the vague messages you send him. We have all worried very much."

His blonde companion, shorter in stature, looking like he had only recently grown into a man's build, agreed, "Yes, you left to find a wife and then suddenly stop to train some men to fight? What is this about?"

"You came here to find a wife?"

The voice from beside Richard started the two knights, who only then noticed the presence of a woman hidden completely by a cloak. Her presence confused and unnerved them.

Richard told her, "Well yes, but I hadn't really expected to find one anyway, so I didn't mind that you and Kory sidetracked me."

Victor and Garfield looked at each other and Richard in confusion.

Richard asked Raven, "Would you mind if we brought them to the tower and explained the situation to them?"

She seemed to consider it for a moment before resigning, "Fine. If you trust them then I do as well."

Her words made him grin- she trusted him. She never before gave such a blatant indication of her feelings towards him. His friends watched the exchange with growing suspicion.

"But I'm not teleporting them. You have to lead them back yourself."

With that, Raven disappeared into a swirl of black, scaring the two new arrivals, and making Richard sigh in annoyance. "Of course she would make us walk. Follow me, Vic, Gar." He turned to the barrier and said, "Rapunzel," and a black-edged whole in the invisible blockade appeared. He walked through it and beckoned to his two companions, who nervously led their horses through the opening.

It took Richard three full hours to explain the entire situation of Koriand'r's planet, her and Raven's escape, their plans to usurp the usurper, and his participation in training them.

Jaws picked up off the floor, his friends agreed that the cause was worthy of his time and efforts, hard as it was to believe the truth of it all. They convinced them by shooting starbolts out the window and lifting several objects in the room with astral projection. Garfield and Victor had suspicions about Richard's _other_ motivations, but they kept those to themselves until they could further observe.

To the surprise of Richard and his female companions, Garfield and Victor wanted to stay and aid their cause. The idea worried Raven, but Koriand'r agreed ecstatically to the proposal, and neither she nor Richard had the heart to refuse her. More help could only improve their chances when the time came to battle Komand'r.

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><p><strong>AN:**Certainly shorter than the last two chapters, but those were introductory and couldn't be split apart. the rest of the chapters will be shorter.

**Please review with your thoughts on this chapter!** I really want more response, since I'm pulling the ultimate cliche here (adapting a fairy tale) but one of my favorite stories I've read here was an adapted Cinderella (on another fandom) so I wanted to throw my hand in. I wonder if you can even recognize the story of Rapunzel that it started from?


	4. The Romance

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Enchanted Mirrors<br>**

**Chapter four: The Romance**

Another month passed and Victor watched the mystic Raven. Koriand'r was sweet, naive, and endearing while surprisingly intelligent, powerful, and battle-hungry. Raven, however, was harder to figure out. The girl acted antisocial, but he understood that she cared deeply for her friends, even himself and Garfield, new as their acquaintance was. Her loyalty to Koriand'r impressed him, as did her ability to learn skills rapidly. After less than a year she was more formidable than most fighters he knew.

Perhaps of more interest, Victor observed his friend and prince's interactions with the woman. A month of observation left Victor sure of his first impression- Richard harboured romantic feelings for Raven. Victor was not sure if that was a good thing or not. He did not know if Richard was even aware of his own feelings.

So he asked him.

The two were discussing, before retiring for the night, what skills to next teach their pupils. Richard gave both girls high commendation, but Raven especially so, since she had less physical strength than Koriand'r, so used ingenuity very effectively. Victor chuckled at his friend's infatuation.

"What is funny?" Richard asked, smiling, wondering what joke he had missed.

"You, Richard," Victor said, using the prince's given name as he generally did outside of ceremony. "Do you even notice that you always give Raven preference, even though Kory will be the one actually fighting her sister for the throne?"

"I do not give her preference; why would I?"

"I can assure you that you do spend much more time with her than with Kory, Gar or I. Every weekend you go into town with her, you both wake up ridiculously early in the morning and talk with each other, and you always insist on training with her personally."

Richard protested, "That's ridiculous, I don't-"

Victor interrupted, "And just last week, Gar was trying, and failing I might add, to flirt with her, and you took him aside, insisting on showing Raven and Kory how to properly use a basic throwing technique that I know they know, and slammed Gar on the floor."

Richard could not deny that he had done it, but he could deny what Victor implied. The knight did not give him the chance. Victor stood, told Richard what he thought they should teach the girls next, and walked out. He had said all he had wanted to, and left Richard feeling extremely confused.

What Victor must have seen was Richard's interest in Raven. He had spent months attempting to figure her out after all; they were friends. He liked Koriand'r just as well.

Well, he could not really say he like Koriand'r the same way. The younger girl was enjoyable company and a good friend, but he did tend to gravitate towards Raven. So, what did that mean?

Raven played the lead role in Richard's dreams that night, but in the morning, he could not remember them.

It took Richard another two weeks to figure it out himself.

He and Raven were on their weekly excursion to a nearby village to buy provisions. They had commissioned the local blacksmith to make the girls each a dagger, and a helm for Koriand'r- they had refused to wear armor besides what their individual outfits provided because, as Raven said, "It's ridiculous and heavy and won't protect me from starbolts." He was giving them daggers as a very last hidden weapon. Koriand'r's helm was mostly ceremonial- it resembled nothing the smith had ever seen before, not covering the head, but instead the outside of the face in the shape of an M. Warriors on Tamaran traditionally wore such a helm in battle, and Koriand'r had refused to fight without it. The smith looked at the pair with tired eyes- the strange helm had taken all of his ingenuity and several attempts- but the products were, after nearly three weeks, all finished. Richard paid the man handsomely, picked up the package, and they moved on to the crowded market.

Some people, mostly children, gave Raven strange looks, as she was wearing her cloak, hood up, but for the most part the town was used to her appearance every Sunday. They knew that she lived somewhere outside of the town, and assumed that she had some gruesome disfigurement that caused her to cover her face. Richard remembered the stares and whispers that surrounded them the first time she arrived in the town in his company. Richard had never visited this part of the kingdom, so no one recognized him as the crown prince. The people had checked their left hands for wedding bands. Finding none, the more dramatic gossips assumed that they were living out of wedlock, while the more trusting- the people Raven actually interacted with, who knew of her kind and soft-spoken nature- assumed they were related. Richard, as a secretly adopted royal, had learned to pay gossip no heed, and Raven thought they were all fools and paid them no mind.

They moved past several stalls and headed toward the butcher. The crowds jostled them, but no more than usual in the large town's center. However, once they had picked up a large order of meat- their groceries kept increasing as their party grew- they moved one towards a farmer's stall selling root vegetables, but a cacophony from the local pub in front of them gave them pause. A din of shattering glass and smashing wood precipitated the door opening, followed by the exit of two intoxicated men in a heated brawl.

Richard grabbed Raven's shoulder to try and pull her behind him, but not fast enough. One of the men, a large men in his twenties, threw his opponent in their direction. Raven's outstretched arms stopped the lump from crashing into them, and he fell to the ground. Unfortunately, the thrower had been rushing in to throw a massive punch to the chest of the older man, and did not pull his punch when Raven pushed the man to the ground.

Richard saw what was about to happen and could do nothing to prevent it. Instead, he watched in horror as the petite woman before him received a meaty fist in the face. Raven's head hardly moved, but her hood slipped from it's precarious position and revealed her face to the onlookers for the first time. Despite the hot blood pouring from her nose, Raven's icy glare filled her attackers heart with fear. She and Richard cocked their arms back simultaneously and smashed the man on either side of his sweaty face. His limp body collapsed to the ground with the force of two angry hits from fighters far stronger than he. Richard was satisfied that he had broken the man's jaw.

Turning from the prone drunk, Richard bent close to examine Raven's face. The swelling from the punch was already gone and the bleeding had stopped. His rapidly beating heart slowed as he remembered her rapid healing and he sighed in relief. Raven raised an eyebrow and asked in a low voice, "What, did you think the fool could actually hurt me?"

He responded in a matching pitch, his murmurs and closeness creating intimacy in their conversation, "I can worry, can't I?"

As he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off of her face she said, "You shouldn't. What are you going to do when Kory and I go to Tamaran?"

Surprisingly she allowed him to clean her face. He said, "Well, first of all, Victor, Garfield and I will be accompanying you, so do not make it sound like you and Kory will fight alone. But to answer your question, I will still worry about you."

"What makes you think you can come with us?" she asked, voice slightly muffled by the handkerchief, but still strong.

Richard brought the blood-stained cloth down from her face and looked her dead in the eye, completely serious. "I will not leave this fight half-finished. I am involved in this now, and I am sure the others feel similarly. I intend to protect you," he said.

"Should not you say you intend to protect Kory?" she asked. "It _is_ her fight after all."

"I suppose I should," Richard seemed to concede, but the look in his eyes was intense as he looked at her. A revelation had left him reeling- he loved the half-demon before him. How strange that someone so outside the realm of all his previous beliefs should be the woman to finally catch his eye, but he knew beyond all doubt that the mystery that had drawn him in to this venture no longer kept him in it- she did. Her whole being- her endless kindness, strength and power, her determination and loyalty to her friends, her confidence shadowed by personal doubt, her beauty of mind and person. Her very soul seemed to chain him to her.

Raven began feeling self-conscious under his gaze. The feeling she'd had on the first day of their acquaintance resurfaced, and her heart beat unevenly. After a few seconds of meeting his gaze, she noticed a high-pitched noise from inside her pocket- no one else heard it. She looked around at the crowd that she only now realized had been watching her and Richard, stepped back from her companion, and walked quickly out of the crowd's embrace. Richard seemed to shake himself out of his trance, and followed her, hearing the people they pushed through whispering. "Why does she hide that pretty face of hers?" "Those kids have quite the punch, surprising for a young lady." "Lady? Can't call her that, now, can we?" "I suppose you were right; they are a couple." "A sinful one."

Raven turned a corner into an empty alley and pulled a rectangular mirror out of her pocket. For a moment he thought she was checking her face for damage or blood, but then he realized she was speaking into it, and voices were responding.

"Garfield," she whispered angrily, "give Kory back her mirror. It is not a toy. I do not want to have to enchant her a third one."

As Richard walked up to Raven, Garfield's voice whined, "But Raven, this is so cool! Mirror, Mirror, in my hand, who is the best knight in the land?"

Raven growled, "Certainly not you, Garfield. Now give Kory back her mirror!"

"Aw." Richard stepped behind her to look over her shoulder and saw Koriand'r appear on the surface of the mirror.

"Friends, I am sorry that we have disturbed you. There are no troubles here, so you may return to your shopping, and we will see you upon your return," Koriand'r said.

"Just do not let Garfield get at your mirror again. We will see you soon, Kory," Raven said, and then ended the magical connection.

Richard took the mirror from her grip and looked at it. It acted like a normal mirror again- he could see his reflection. "I've never seen this before. How does it work?"

Raven looked up to answer him, but blushed when she met his eyes. She put her hood up and turned to walk away, heading back towards the market, saying, "It's a spell I did when I first met Kory. It allowed us to communicate secretly for years. She left her original one on Tamaran, so I had to make her a new one."

"Oh. That is very useful." Raven didn't respond. The pair completed their errands without speaking to each other. The silence was not awkward, but both were busy thinking about their feelings for the other- one celebrating his discovery, the other wondering about the meaning of her strange reactions to her companion.

They should have been thinking about something far more grave.

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><p><strong>AN: What should they be worrying about? Does anyone know? Does anyone care? Is anyone reading this?**

**Hello?**


	5. The Villain

**A/N: Really short chapter, yeah, sorry. Diclaimer: don't own.  
><strong>

**Enchanted Mirrors  
><strong>

**Chapter Five : The Villain**

Komand'r stormed through the once grand palace in anger. Her impatient and angry growls echoed through the stone halls.

Ruling Tamaran was not as grand as she had imagined.

After the initial satisfaction of her victory, the realities of holding responsibility for an entire planet descended. After a week of general chaos for her as she had to adapt to the power she gained, she received news that her useless, pathetic sister had attempted to escape and the Gordanians had gone and killed her. Fools!

Since they considered the dead princess insufficient payment, the Gordanians threatened renewed attack on the weakened Tamaran if she did not pay them their previously demanded sum in return. Komand'r had no choice but to comply. It emptied the state treasury, which her parents had filled after years of wise ruling. Komand'r now had no room for err- but erred greatly.

Like all inexperienced and impoverished rulers before her, she attempted to regain her wealth by raising the people's taxes. That did not go over well with the people.

Her subjects, already unwilling to accept the new 'queen,' refused to pay their taxes. Komand'r's Gordanian attack had nearly wiped out the once grand Tamaranean army, so she had no means of enforcing her rule. All she could do was hold the throne- by killing anyone who challenged her- and wait. She left taxes at the rate her parents instituted, and a fair few people paid them- though not enough for her to rebuild. She tried to reassemble the army, but without money to pay them, she had a pathetic group of criminals she had pardoned, orphans and runaways with nowhere else to go. The few remaining soldiers who remained became her personal guard, and trained the weak, unimpressive recruits.

The people were suffering under her rule, but she didn't really care about them. She hated that she herself suffered.

Her unsteady position infuriated her. Every single day she wanted to go out and kill all the people who defied her, but her parents- who she made stay and advise her- forced her not to. It would only make her situation worse.

Hands glowing green with energy, Komand'r tore down the doors to the rooms that used to belong to her sister. She had let the maids go, since she could no longer pay them, so the entire palace, these rooms included, had become dusty and disheveled. She had not entered Koriand'r's rooms since she had captured her and sent her to be a slave.

Stepping into Koriand'r's old study, Komand'r screamed in anger, "Are you happy now little sister! Even dead you are keeping me from power! I couldn't even be the one to kill you!"

Komand'r threw starbolts all over the room, crashing bookshelves and burning curtains. One projectile caught her eye as it reflected off of Koriand'r's desk and crashed into the ceiling. Walking through the wreckage, she went to see what had caused the curious occurrence.

She picked up the small mirror. "Ah, yes. Everyone thought she was such an angel, so much better than me, but the vain little twit spent her last moments here looking at herself."

Putting down the mirror, Komand'r cocked her arm back to smash the glass. At the last second, she pulled her punch. She heard voices. Checking the room, she found no one. There was no one at the door either. She looked down at the mirror, realizing that the sounds were coming from it. She carefully picked it back up and listened. It still reflected her face. The voices were foreign, but a familiar name caught her attention.

_"... Kory back her mirror!"_ A female voice whispered.

_"Aw,"_ lamented a male voice.

She heard some shuffling and then Komand'r nearly broke the mirror.

Her supposedly dead sister started talking.

_"Friends, I am sorry that we have disturbed you. There are no troubles here, so you may return to your shopping, and we will see you upon your return."_

The unfamiliar female voice returned, calmer, and said, _"Just do not let Garfield get at your mirror again. We will see you soon, Kory."_

The conversation appeared to have ended, but Komand'r waited to make sure nothing more was said. After a few moments, she grinned evilly. "Oh, you may not have troubles now, sister dear, but you will very soon. How dare you still be alive... Not for long."

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><p><strong>AN: REVIEW!**


	6. The Build Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. But Rapunzel is public domain, and I'll settle for that if I can't have the Teen Titans**

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><p><strong>Enchanted Mirrors<br>**

**Chapter Six: The Build-Up**

After nearly seven weeks, Richard and Raven had still not discussed what had happened in the market that day. If she were asked, Raven would have claimed that nothing had happened, really. She took a punch to the face, so she took the fool out, end of story. As for Richard, well, he never discussed it. He never admitted to the fury he felt when Raven got hurt. He knew that Raven held in her emotions in order to control her powers, and he did not intend to upset her so soon before they would launch their attack on Koriand'r's sister. He believed he was a brave man, but that did not mean he had the courage to tell a woman as cool as Raven that he loved her.

Victor tried to speak with him on the subject, but Richard refused to discuss it- which only served to confirm Victor's beliefs.

They continued in their usual routine, until events started to spiral out of their hands.

Raven and Richard were in the market in town again, as they always were on Sundays. But today, they crouched, hidden behind a farmer's stall.

Richard turned to his companion, confused. He would have laughed at seeing her surrounded by potatoes and carrots were her face not so very serious and frightened.

He whispered, "Would you care to explain-"

"Shush!"

Raven moved into a lotus position, and began chanting her mantra, "Azarath metrion zinthos," very, very softly. She did not appear to inhabit her body for a few minutes as Richard nervously waited, occasionally waving a hand in front of her face to check on her, and receiving no response.

Suddenly Raven took a deep breath, as if just waking up, and she grabbed his hand and teleported them back to the tower.

Once they reappeared in the main room where their three friends sat and laid on chairs, Raven went into an uncharacteristic panic.

"Kory, she knows you're alive!"

Koriand'r stood immediately and approached her distressed friend. "Who, Raven? Certainly- certainly you do not refer to my sister?" she asked in fear. She had never seen Raven like this; whatever she had seen had destroyed her serenity. That's enough to make anyone nervous, especially Koriand'r, who put so much faith in, and drew so much strength from, her best friend.

Raven put her head in her hands and nodded. "She knows you're alive, and she sent out her personal guard to find you. They've been going planet to planet, searching. How did she find out? How did she-"

An object on top of a table caught Raven's eye. "No. That can't be it."

She rushed across the room and picked up the enchanted mirror. Gingerly lifting it, examining the reflective surface as well as the dull backing, she left her friends baffled. They looked at each other nervously.

"Kory, what did you do with your original mirror?" Raven asked, her voice filled with horror.

Koriand'r answered readily; she would never forget the day she had lost her mirror, for it was the day her sister destroyed life as she knew it. "I left it on the desk in my study when Komand'r captured me."

Raven already knew the answer, but the confirmation just served to wound her. She swore, "Trigon damn me... Komand'r has your original mirror. I didn't think the spell for the new mirror would extend to the old one, but I was wrong... This is my fault."

"Oh Raven," Koriand'r exclaimed, "If it is the fault of anyone, it is mine. I left something so important in the hands of the enemy."

Raven looked about to rebuke Koriand'r's humble apologies, but Richard interrupted, "Wait, before we all blame ourselves, how can we be sure that this mirror is truly the way Komand'r discovered that Kory is alive?"

Raven just stared at him for a moment. Then she glared at the mirror and muttered, "Only one way to find out, I suppose."

Raven checked the wall behind her, making sure nothing distinguishable marked it, raised her hood to completely cover her face, then told them all under no uncertain terms to remain silent. After a deep breath, she looked into the mirror and commanded, "Komand'r."

After a few moments of tense waiting, glowing green eyes much like Koriand'r's appeared on the mirror, set in the face of the Tamaranean dictator. Komand'r. Raven gritted her teeth in guilt and anger.

"Hello? Kory is that you, dearest sister?" Her voice was full of false cheer that made Raven's ears hurt. Raven thanked Azar for small favors- because she had placed a new spell for the new mirror, Komand'r was not able to see them through her mirror.

"I'm not Kory," Raven answered, voice low and full of poison, hardly sounding like her own.

Raven watched Komand'r flippantly answer, not looking into the mirror, as she would not see Raven anyway, "Are you not? Well, then, do I know you?"

Raven sneered at the glass. "No. But you will. I can promise you that."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Komand'r asked in a low, even voice.

Raven laughed out loud, condescending and smug. When she spoke her voice growled with demonic power, "You will know when I am threatening you, you pathetic fool."

With a flick of her wrist, Raven smashed the mirror into the floor. Her feet lifted off of the ground and she flew towards a desk at the other side of the room. She picked up another mirror of the same size and smashed that, too. She used her powers to lift the pieces and dispose of them.

"Are you sure she won't still be able to hear us?" Richard asked.

Raven, calming herself from her fit of anger, shook her head and explained, "The spell requires the object on which it is placed; if the object is broken, so is the spell."

She floated over to her favorite armchair and sat down on it, head in hands once again.

"So what's the new plan?" Victor asked, speaking up for the first time since Raven and Richard had come back with the bad news.

After a minute long silence, Richard spoke up, "I don't think there should be a new plan."

Garfield wondered aloud, "And what exactly does that mean?"

Richard ignored him, "Raven, how long will Komand'r's troops be here?"

Raven didn't move from her position as she said, "They spent about two weeks searching each other planet they've been to, and Earth is a little larger than those, so we should have at least that."

He nodded, "Then why don't we just take that last bit of time to prepare, then go with the Tamaraneans?"

"You mean, let them capture us?" Garfield exclaimed, incredulous and horrified.

Richard shook his head, "No, just steal whatever vessel brought them here. We had no plan for getting to Tamaran, remember."

Raven finally looked up. "So you are suggesting that we become... space pirates," she said dryly. Garfield and Victor laughed, but Richard nodded.

She smiled slowly. "I like the way you think."

He smiled back. Even in times of stress, he was hopelessly smitten with her.

Their gaze broke only when Victor shouted, "Alright Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to get to business. Two weeks might not be much, but we are going to make it count!"

Richard watched with no small degree of satisfaction as Raven, after their eye contact was broken, blushed and swiftly raised her hood to hide it. Maybe he did affect her. He smirked widely. The way he felt at that moment, he believed anything was possible; even taking over a whole planet with five fighters- five extremely talented fighters, two with supernatural powers, but still. Two weeks until the beginning of the end of the crazy adventure he had joined on a whim's desire to learn more about her.

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><p><strong>AN: Tell me what you think? Cheers  
><strong>


	7. The New Setting

**Disclaimer: Raven, Koriand'r, Dick Grayson, Victor Stone, Garfield Logan, Komand'r, and Tamaran all belong to DC. I claim no rights to them, and I make no money off of them.**

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><p><strong>Enchanted Mirrors<br>**

**Chapter Seven: The New Setting**

Two weeks went by very quickly.

Koriand'r's helm-decorated face poked around a tree to peek at the group of about ten Tamaraneans loading a ship with provisions they had stolen from a local town. A pale, feminine hand, dressed in a dark blue glove that left bare the thumb and first finger, reached around the tree, grabbed Koriand'r's face, and yanked it back under cover. One of the soldiers turned when he thought he heard a yelp, but dismissed it when he saw nothing.

"Kory," Raven admonished, "be careful. We are trying to remain unseen."

"My apologies. But I could not help it. It has been six years now since I have seen another one of my people, and I fear I have been homesick. I shall not endanger the mission again."

Raven simply nodded and went back on task- which was to ascertain how many soldiers were inside the ship. As far as she could sense- and her senses were generally correct- only the space craft's captain remained inside the ship, which left only the ten men working outside to be incapacitated.

That should be easy enough for the group of five.

Using the element of surprise, each of them took down two soldiers. Raven used her telekinesis to slam their heads together, knocking them unconscious. Garfield did much the same, though with his hands. Victor punched each man in the stomach, and followed by elbowing both in the face. Although one of the men managed to land a punch on Victor's jaw, he went down quickly with a third hit, and Victor cricked his jaw without concern. Koriand'r blasted both men in their backs with her starbolts, which made them cry out in pain and collapse. Richard took out a long staff that he preferred over his sword in group fights, and smashed it across one man's head, following immediately by hitting the other in the stomach with the butt of the staff. When the second man doubled over in pain Richard smashed him in the head, sending him downward, followed by the first man, who took another blow to the head from Richard's foot.

Richard observed as he straightened, "If this is considered Komand'r's personal guard, the best she's got, that means she doesn't have much of an army back on Tamaran. That's good news for us."

Victor and Garfield agreed with their prince, but Koriand'r and Raven both knew what Komand'r was truly capable of, and did not get their hopes up.

The group bound the soldiers- Raven carried them along with her powers because none thought it wise to leave alien soldiers on Earth- and entered the vessel carefully, watching out for traps, following Koriand'r, who was following signs in her native language. She led them to the captain, who, though a much greater fighter than his troops, was quickly incapacitated by the group's overwhelming force.

Koriand'r smiled widely as she flew around the control room, surrounded by her language and technology unique to her planet. She expertly pressed a series of buttons while her friends watched. The ship began to lift off the ground. Victor and Garfield cheered for Koriand'r as the vessel moved. The other two remained quiet, but smiled at her.

Because the Tamaraneans had long known how to bypass the speed of light, the trip to Tamaran took less than a day. As they approached the planet, the ship received contact from the landing base- they recognized the ship and gave them authorization to land in the base located just at the edge of the Tamaranean capitol.

Koriand'r jumped off the ship just as it touched ground, and flew in circles in the air, reveling in the experience of returning home. It had been far too long since she had seen the tropical paradise that generations of Tamaranean scientists had labored to make true. The sights and smells of the plants of her home filled the homecoming princess with childhood joy, pride, and evermore determination to reclaim her planet from the undeserving usurper on the throne. She twirled and flew upwards, hoping to glimpse her childhood home, the capitol city, where her sister now reigned. That was their destination.

She saw the palace first as she rose into the air. When the rest of the city came into sight, she frowned at the sight. It looked far more drab than she remembered. Anger rose in Koriand'r's kind heart. If her people now suffer, it is her fault for not stopping Komand'r all those years ago. This problem must be rectified immediately. With careful control, Koriand'r directed her flight downward once more, toward her group of friends. The sight of them, like the sight of her home had previously, filled her with joy; they would help her save her planet and punish her sister. Smiling, she hovered a foot or two off of the ground, facing her friends.

Raven watched her with annoyance and also indulgence. Her friend, though wasting their time with her antics, did deserve to enjoy her return to her home planet. Despite this belief, Raven could not imagine herself reacting so, should she ever be allowed to return to Azarath.

She gasped as a line of armed guards fifty yards behind Koriand'r caught her eye. "Kory, look out!" She cried, as she flew forward and erected a large wall between the guards' incoming starbolts and her friend's turned back.

Seven guards flew towards Raven's shield and one tried to fly off and warn others of the intruder's presence. Raven did not let him get away. Instead she raised her hand like she meant to grab him from forty meters away- and she did, using her black powers. The black fist-shaped soul-self pulled him to the solid, black wall and trapped him there, face crushed against the surface and looking on the group of seeming invaders. Even as his companions, flying into a rage at his capture, reached the shield and threw more starbolts at it, the man with his face against the shield stared at Koriand'r, who had turned to face the oncoming threat.

"Princess Koriand'r..." he whispered in shock and awe. The other guards, hearing him, stopped their pointless assault on Raven's force field, and looked at him.

The guard shouted this time, "Thank X'Hal, for our Princess Koriand'r is returned!"

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><p><strong>AN: Reviews are welcomed, encouraged, read several times, and severely appreciated. Cheers.  
><strong>


	8. The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: Yeah, Raven, Koriand'r/Starfire, Dick Grayson/Robin, Victor Stone/Cyborg, Garfield Logan/Changeling/Beast Boy, Komand'r/Blackfire, starbolts and Tamaran belong to DC. Rapunzel, however, is public domain... so I totally claim that!**

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><p><strong>Enchanted Mirrors<br>**

**Chapter Eight: The Beginning of the End**

Shortly after discovering the four foreigners with their prodigal princess, the eight guards filed the whole group of intruders, except Raven, into the palace to face the Queen. They were all constrained at the wrists, and were chained together. Their heads faced down. Koriand'r led the group of prisoners, with three guards surrounding her while the other five watched the three men.

Koriand'r found it very difficult to restrain her excitement at being in her childhood home. Her mind filled her with memories of her youth and parents. However, once they passed the broken down doors to her study, she sobered. Her mind returned to the task at hand.

In the throne room they found Komand'r lounging in her father's place. When the guard leading them at the front announced that they had "found the rogue princess," she straightened and looked with shock on her sister and her companions. Then she smirked evilly.

"Oh, sister, it is so good to see you. It's been too long!" Komand'r exclaimed with false joy, smug triumph gleaming in her dark eyes.

Koriand'r raised herself to her full height as she had the day her sister and the Gordanians had captured her. This day, a fully grown and powerful Koriand'r made a much more impressive silhouette. She suppressed a sneer as she answered with feeling, "Six years, sister. But I am afraid I find it hard to return the sentiment, as I am not as comfortable as you with lying."

The dark-haired usurper faked hurt, holding her heart, saying, "Kory, dear, you have no idea how much that hurts!"

Bright green eyes narrowed at their enemy. "I am not here for niceties, Komand'r; I am here to return the throne of Tamaran to it's rightful rulers. We saw the city on our way here; you do not appear to be having a very good time of ruling, so why do you not just give up?"

Komand'r laughed aloud, "That is funny, dear. You are not in a position to be telling me what to do," she said, looking pointedly at Koriand'r's restraints.

The redhead happily threw off the unlocked cuffs, as did her companions, while the eight guards around them moved to stand to their side. Komand'r watched it all with shock and searing fury. She shouted urgently, "Guards!"

Twenty more Tamaraneans equipped as guards entered the room. The first two, upon recognizing their princess Koriand'r, fell to their knees and bowed.

The two soldiers, who had joined the Tamaranean army out of necessity, not out of love for the queen, heard a frustrated cry of outrage before feeling intense pain as their lives were snuffed out.

Watching her sister kill the two men, Koriand'r cringed in horror.

Komand'r shouted to the remaining eighteen men, "Koriand'r is a traitor to Tamaran! Kill her and her allies!"

As the troops before him charged, a soldier behind him informed Richard that they did not wish to fight their comrades, nor face Komand'r's wrath. Though disappointed, Richard had no time to dwell on it. "Then stand guard at the doors, make sure no others come in."

As the eight Tamaranean behind them dispersed to the entrance, Koriand'r, Richard, Garfield, and Victor took their battle stances.

A savage grin graced Koriand'r's face as she immediately dove into battle with glee. Her three friends followed her as she bowled into the ranks of Tamaraneans, throwing them off balance. The princess single-handedly blasted four men permanently to the ground with her starbolts before she set eyes on her sister.

For several long minutes Komand'r watched the commence battle with horror. How could three humans and an untrained Tamaranean be defeating her personal guard? Even though they were poorly trained and the Earth style fighting tactics were unfamiliar, Tamaraneans still had their superior strength, flight, and starbolts. Who were these fighters? And who had trained Koriand'r so well? Even as she thought that she saw her sister glaring at her.

Komand'r decided it would be prudent to leave the room at this time. While a soldier briefly distracted the younger princess with a punch in the jaw, she started backing towards the door behind the throne, where she could call more guards. When she turned to open the door, it opened to show a dark cloaked figure standing before the unconscious bodies of thirty of her best soldiers.

The silhouette stalked towards the usurper, the clacking of her heels offset by the warrior shouts and weapon clangs from the center of the chamber, and declared from under her hood, "_Now_ I am threatening you."

Komand'r tilted her head. She smiled, "So _you_ are the person from the mirror. I have _so_ wanted to meet you. Tell me, how do you know my sister?"

Raven smiled in response, much more sincerely, but no less maliciously. "Well, that's a story for another time. I'm just here to inform you that any soldiers in the city truly loyal to you have been... incapacitated. You are alone. I _would_ advise you to surrender, however, Kory wants to have a proper fight with you for the throne."

Komand'r laughed behind her hand, "That fool truly wishes to-"

A starbolt in the back of her head cut the Queen's arrogant speech short. She turned to see Koriand'r standing battle ready while the battle between three Earth men and eleven Tamaraneans continued in the background.

"Thank you for your assistance, Raven. I can take my sister from here," the battle-high princess said.

Raven nodded and flew swiftly to aid the men. Without the Tamaranean princess, they were losing their advantage in the battle, and beginning to tire. The Tamaranean soldiers shot their starbolts, and Victor and Garfield's dodging got closer and closer every time. Richard seemed unaffected, but Raven knew he was just putting on a false bravado. He unequivocally refused to look weak in the midst of battle.

While Garfield and Victor each struggled to hold back several opponents, Richard dove into the group of soldiers facing him, charging staff first, smashing an opponent in the head before executing a back flip to get behind another fighter and landing a roundhouse kick to his side.

Suddenly, a shadow behind him blocked a starbolt he had not seen coming. He turned to see Raven, hood down, smirking at him.

"I have your back," she said. He grinned at her, and they simultaneously turned and stood back-to-back, ready bring down their opponents.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks so much to 13RobertsGirl13 and SladeRavenFan, the ONLY TWO who reviewed the last chapter.**

**To everyone else… You're breaking my heart.**

**Cheers.**


	9. The Final Battle, Part I

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or locations in this chapter.  
><strong>

**Enchanted Mirrors  
><strong>

**Chapter Nine: The Final Battle, Part I**

The Tamaraneans fought with all of their impressive might. Not all of them truly wished to obey the false Queen, in fact most of them did not, but they valued their lives, and their two slain comrades made terrifying examples.

Richard parried attacks by a pair of assailants. One guard got too close, and a spark of black energy from Raven hit him, making him cry out in pain and back up momentarily. To his right Robin saw a hand glow green, preparing to fire a starbolt at his partner without her notice, so he smashed across it with his staff. Raven raised a black shield in front of herself to block several starbolts. Once they had bounced out of sight, she dispersed the shield and then recreated it horizontally above one of her attackers and brought it down. The man grunted as Raven's soul-self forced him to the ground, and kept him there, cutting off his air until he lost consciousness. His body went limp before she relented. Another Tamaranean tried to punch her, but she kicked away the fist, and twisted in a full circle to bring the same outstretched leg across the soldier's jaw. He stumbled back in pain a moment before stepping forward to engage her in battle once more.

Richard called to Raven over his shoulder between blows, landing two on his man and receiving one to the side in return, "Kory?"

He heard Raven grunt, from pain or anger he wasn't sure, and saw a flash of black out of the corner of his eye before she panted her answer, "Fighting her sister."

One end of his staff hit an opponent, then the other end lashed toward another, who dodged and flung a starbolt at his face, nearly grazing it. "Will she be alright on her own?"

Blasts of soul-self hit her opponents on their hands and in their eyes, systematically stopping them from throwing starbolts, and further pissing them off. "Whether she is or not, she would never forgive us if we interfered." She lifted a nearby stone statue with her soul-self and crashed it into two of her opponents simultaneously, knocking them out cold. She left them trapped underneath it. The last Tamaranean before her used the moment she concentrated on the statue to try and wrap his arms around her torso, but Raven avoided his grasp and punched him twice, right, left, and a kick to his solar plexus.

"True enough," he shouted as he jumped forward, further away from Raven's assistance, to grapple with one of the last two of his opponents, who was trying to back away. The maneuver left Richard open to the other Tamaranean.

Raven heard his shout of pain and turned to see him go down in a burst of green light. In her distraction, her last opponent, recovered from her kick, managed to hit her in the gut, stealing her breath and her serenity. When she looked up from her doubled over position, her eyes glowed red. Her soul-self pulsed out viciously at the last six standing Tamaranean guards- two Richard had been fighting, one still standing against her, and three that Garfield and Victor had been trying to take down together. Though the furious wave of black energy passed harmlessly through her friends, all six Tamaraneans flew against the far, stone walls, hard enough to make cracks in the granite and their skulls.

Raven whirled, her fury melting into concern for her fallen comrade. She rushed to Richard's side, and moved him from his side to lay flat on his back. It did not take her more than a moment to locate his injury in the form of a large burn covering his stomach and right side. He sported battle wounds elsewhere, but none were serious enough to slow him down during the fight. Fearfully, she realized that he was not breathing.

She pressed her ear to the left center of his chest to listen for a heartbeat. As she did, he coughed a gasp and started panting for breath, the actions making him scrunch his face in pain as his burn stretched. Raven breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked down at him as his eyes flickered open. He stared at her for a minute, before smiling. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

He shook his head minimally, trying not to stretch his burn. "Nothing. I just thought you were a nice sight to open my eyes to."

Raven's eyes widened, and she turned her face away to hide her blush. She bit her lip to stop a smile. She moved to kneel by his torso and began gently pulling the charred remains of his shirt away from his wound.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She still did not look him in the eye as she answered, "I'm going to heal you."

"But then you will take on my pain. I do not want you to suffer for my mistake. It is not life threatening, so I can deal with it."

Raven rolled her eyes, "Well that is very chivalrous of you, but the burn may fester, so I am going to heal it."

Before he could protest again, blue energy coated her hands and spread over his burn. It felt like cool water soothing the painful, blistered skin. The blackened mark disappeared, replaced with healthy flesh.

When the blue light vanished, Richard sat up and touched his healed torso, looking at the expression on Raven's face. She whimpered in pain, grabbing her own torso where the burning was greatest. Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped around her. Raven hesitantly wrapped her own arms around Richard in return. She tucked her face in the crook of his neck while she rode out the searing pain.

As the fiery sensation eased, she heard Richard whisper, "Thank you."

She shook her head, which still rested on his shoulder, "It isn't a big deal."

Richard pulled her shoulders up to look her in the eye for the first time since he had tried to compliment her. "Yes it is," he argued huskily. He looked down at her lips, and felt himself drawn to them. Suddenly, his lips hovered just millimeters away from hers and he said, "It means everything."

He kissed her. He was hesitant, not pushing her, waiting for her to respond. He did not have to wait long.

When Raven wrapped her arms around his neck, Richard pulled back from her mouth, keeping close, and whispered, "Will you marry me?"

Her eyes widened to huge violet orbs. Her hands slipped down to rest on his shoulders. "What?" she asked.

Richard looked into the violet with his own serious blue and repeated, "Will you marry me?"

Watching her expression change from shock to a more stoic confusion, he decided she needed more than that. "Raven, I love you. A year ago I decided to help you and Kory because you fascinated me. I knew from the moment I met you that I wanted to know you better. I was trying so hard to figure you out that it took me a long time to even realize the feelings I had developed for you, but once I did I knew I would never feel this way about anyone else. Please, let me spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me."

Raven was looking down at the floor, and Richard started to get nervous as he waited. Then, wordlessly, she slipped back into his embrace. He held her tight against him. They stayed there for a few moments until a cough caught their attention. They looked up to see a worse-for-wear Victor and Garfield watching them- Victor with knowing amusement and Garfield with total shock and confusion. Victor's arm was injured, and Garfield leaned on his friend's good side, favoring an injured ankle, and both sported several burns.

Victor, still grinning smugly, asked, "Don't you kids want to see how Kory's fight is going, or should we just leave you two alone?"

Raven gasped, "Kory!" How could she have forgotten? When Richard got injured she got so scared that she just ignored everything else, and then he kissed her and the whole world flew out of her mind. Her best friend was in the middle of the most important fight of her life and she was flustered over marriage proposals!

She jumped up to run and find Koriand'r, but Richard's tight grip on her hand gave her pause. "So, that is a yes, right?" he asked quickly, understanding her rush, but in his own rush to hear her answer.

She opened her mouth to answer, when a huge explosion shocked them all. They looked towards the fighting sisters. Their battle had moved into a different room, but was still visible through the huge whole they had just made in the wall.

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><p><strong>AN: **Yeah, this was originally a part of chapter 8, but I decided to cut it in half, make two chapters, keep you all in suspense a while longer...** Which begs the question, was it worth the wait?**

**I can see the light at the end of the story... Coming up next, Kory's battle with Komand'r! Review if you want it.**

**Cheers**


	10. The Final Battle, Part II

**Disclaimer: DC owns all the characters herein. I'm so jealous.**

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><p><strong>Enchanted Mirrors<br>**

**Chapter Ten: The Final Battle, Part II**

As Raven had flown away to assist the men, Koriand'r approached her sister with the lithe, predatory walk of a jungle cat on the hunt. If ever Komand'r had felt fear, it was at that moment.

"So you're going to fight me for the throne, little sister?" she sneered, true to her egoistic personality.

"You," Koriand'r responded with disdain as the two warrior-women began circling each other, "will address me as Princess Koriand'r, or not at all."

Turning on her heel and circling in the opposite direction, making her sister do the same, the dark-haired traitor laughed, "Is this the part where I get scared and hand you the crown or face your wrath?"

"Well, I doubt you shall so easily hand over the crown that does not rightfully belong to you in the first place, but you already fear me, Komand'r."

Another laugh.

Koriand'r smirked. "I can see your apprehension, sister _dear_. You know you will not be able to beat me. You, weakling, cannot even fly. Even infant Tamaraneans can fly, yet you have not the strength. Why is that, Komand'r?"

The weakling in question growled as the old wound was reopened. "Yes, you're right, Kory, I can't fly. I'm seen as a defect, a weakling, a mutant. And you are the perfect, sparkling, future queen. Well," Komand'r grinned nastily, and Koriand'r instinctively dug her feet in for battle as a response, "not anymore Kory. _I'm_ the queen now!" Komand'r's hands glowed with green light. "So I'll fight you, and I will _win!_"

Koriand'r was unprepared for Komand'r's speed. Even though the elder sister couldn't fly, she leaped through the air so quickly that her target took the full brunt of a starbolt-powered punch to the jaw.

Flying back, Koriand'r was caught by her red hair. She resisted the need to cry out in pain and glared at the owner of the hand grasping her mane. Noses an inch apart, the sisters glared for a second before Koriand'r's glowing green eyes appeared to literally boil with rage. With a gasp Komand'r tried to back away from her sister's face, but too late: a powerful beam of solar energy burst from Koriand'r's eyes directly into the face before her. Komand'r was unable to hold in her scream of intense pain.

The red-head towered over her kneeling enemy who cried in pain over her burning face, and said, "Flying is not the only strength I possess that you do not." Komand'r glared at her in fury as she continued, "The throne is meant for a Tamaranean strong enough to protect it. And that, Komand'r, will _never_ be you."

Komand'r growled as she regained her feet, "Enough talking."

Hands glowing once more, Koriand'r hunched into a ready fighting stance and replied, "Agreed."

This time the younger sister lunged first, going for the throat of her opponent, but not catching it, catching instead her collar. Using that to her advantage, Koriand'r grasped the choker firmly, spun around twice to gain speed, and threw Komand'r into a nearby marble pillar. She followed the assault with several starbolts into the cloud of dust the bloomed in the crash, causing wind to swirl the fog.

Squinting into the rubble when no sound of pain came, Koriand'r took a few steps forward. Suddenly a flash of green light flew out of the dusty air. Koriand'r dodged three starbolts, but one caught her shoulder, slowing her for another to hit her straight in the gut.

The solar-powered blow pushed the princess back several feet before she took flight and rushed right to the spot from which the shots had come. The lingering dust clouded her vision, but as it started to settle and she began turning in search of her opponent, she was hit from behind. The kick brought her to the ground, and as she fell she turned to face her attacker and sent eyebeams at her. Komand'r shouted out in pain, and Koriand'r smiled at the sound.

Before she could lift herself off of the rubble-covered floor, Koriand'r was grabbed by the shoulders and roughly yanked up. Komand'r shouted in her face, spittle flying in her anger, "You cannot win, Kory!"

"That is where you are wrong," the redhead shouted in response, emphasizing her point with eyebeams that Komand'r easily ducked. However, Koriand'r expected the move, and took the opportunity to tuck her legs up to her chest, her weight supported entirely by her sister's hold on her shoulders, and kicked out with as much force as she could muster. The force of the kick sent Komand'r sailing back towards a nearby wall, but she managed to slide one hand on the ground, slowing her until she could plant her feet and stop herself, crouched down on her haunches.

From her crouch, she glared at her sister, who had flipped from her kick on Komand'r's chest to gracefully land on her feet. With some shock, Komand'r realized that Koriand'r had not stood idle while she stopped her unbridled flight, and that starbolts now soared straight at her face. She dodged to the right, eliciting a smile from her sister, who looked up to observe a section of the ceiling falling onto Komand'r, by grace of several well-placed starbolts after she had been kicked.

As gravity brought the huge section of stone castle down on her, Komand'r stood up to meet it with her fist raised. A huge crash of stone breaking was heard. All the hunks of stone bricks landed loudly on the ground, followed by a heavy silence. Koriand'r swiftly threw a starbolt into the rubble to move the air and dissipate the dust. When the air cleared, Koriand'r's eyes widened, then narrowed with an angry growl.

Komand'r stood in the center of the stone mess, fist still raised, not even bleeding from the impact. "You'll have to try harder than that, baby sister."

Koriand'r took the bait and flew forward.

"What," Komand'r taunted, "can't you beat me without flying? I can beat you without flying or using eyebeams. Why don't you try it?"

Landing in front of her sister, Koriand'r began throwing blows at her sister, most of which were dodged, and said, "I am not stupid, Komand'r, and I shall not fall for your petty tricks."

A hard punch painfully caught Koriand'r in the jaw, and she retaliated with a kick at Komand'r's side, making her stumble, and opening her to another blow from Koriand'r's foot in the back of her head. Finally, Koriand'r thought, I brought her to _her_ knees.

She did not have time to take pride in her temporary victory, as Komand'r got right back up and furthered her attack with calculated fury. Koriand'r raised her hands to block the punches at her face. Suddenly Komand'r spun and threw her elbow into Koriand'r's stomach.

The red-head leaned forward as her breath was stolen by the blow. Her sister mocked, "Well, doesn't that make a nice target?" Koriand'r did not understand the comment until her sister's elbow came down on her head. She fell forward, but caught herself on her hands before she fell to her knees, supporting herself on all fours.

Using her low position, Koriand'r shifted her body so she could kick Komand'r's feet from under her. The false queen would have caught herself with her hands as her younger sister had, but Koriand'r's hand grasped her ankle as she fell, and yanked up, causing her skull to slam painfully against the marble floor. Letting out a pained grunt, Komand'r succumbed to the daze of the head wound for a few seconds, long enough for Koriand'r to ready a powerful starbolt. As Komand'r's eyes opened once the dizziness had passed, she saw her sister above her, before the blinding light of a starbolt filled her vision.

In desperation, Komand'r threw up her powered hands to block the oncoming assault. Her own starbolt clashed with Koriand'r's, and the combination created a huge explosion. For just a split second there was tense silence as the two energies fought against each other, before the light, followed by the sound, followed by the force of the explosion burst out like a microcosm of a supernova. The sound of it echoed through the entire throne room as the energy crashed a hole in the wall next to them. A large ballroom was now visible on the other side, through the once again dusty air.

Though spared the brunt of the burns from the blast as she had stood several feet away, Koriand'r was thrown back by a wave of hot air made by the explosion. Rather than fall off her feet or crash into a wall, she took flight away from the last vestiges of the explosion and the falling rubble from the wall.

For most any other living creature, the blast would have been deadly, but for Komand'r it was a severe burn at most. It smarted greatly, yet Komand'r still got up. Trying to gain some space from her sister, Komand'r backed out through the hole in the wall. Koriand'r followed.

Koriand'r narrowed her eyes at her still-standing sister, wondering what it would take to bring her down. Looking over her enemy, the princess remarked, "Sister, you appear tired, and you are covered in burns. Should you not accept defeat now?"

Komand'r growled, "Why would I give up a fight I'm winning?"

"You are not winning," Koriand'r declared surely, "and you never will be. It is time I stop showing you mercy, sister."

Despite the pain of stretching the burns that covered her face, Komand'r laughed. "Yes, Koriand'r, show me your great pow-"

Komand'r's mocking was cut off by Koriand'r's fist to her throat, choking her. Immediately following, giving Komand'r no chance to recover, Koriand'r grabbed her sister's arm, pulled her over her shoulder, and slammed her hard on the ground. She pulled Komand'r back up, swinging her in an arc over her head, to slam back onto the ground.

Koriand'r powered up one hand with a starbolt, while the other hand firmly clasped her sister's wrists together. The dark-haired warrior on the ground loosed a starbolt of her own towards Koriand'r, but it was flicked away. The red-head's face was uncharacteristically expressionless as she, holding her sister down, used her powerful starbolt to burn to bottom of her sister's feet. She held her starbolt against Komand'r's feet long enough that the shoes melted and burned away, and Komand'r was left howling in pain from severe burns on both feet.

Koriand'r thought, that should keep her off her feet. She knew it was cruel to do such a thing, but she needed Komand'r to stay down.

"Kory!"

The shout from her friend made her turn her head. All four of her comrades stood outside of the hole in the wall, smiling at her. They all sported burns from starbolts, except for Raven, but nothing seemed particularly harmful. Koriand'r smiled widely. Her friends had assisted her to victory, and none were fatally injured.

Raven started walking towards her friend, heart filled with happiness for her friend's victory, and intense satisfaction that their quest to win Koriand'r's throne was finished. Raven did not smiled outwardly, but after years knowing each other, her best friend could see the smile lurking in her eyes.

Richard followed Raven, and Victor and Garfield followed after him. When Raven was a few yards away from her friend, she opened her mouth to congratulate her friend on the victory, but stopped short.

Why did it seem so quiet all of a sudden?

She realized the answer as she was blasted off her feet and onto the ground several feet away. Komand'r had stopped screaming and crying, and she had thrown a starbolt at Raven, one much more powerful than any the soldiers could have achieved. It actually made the ever-silent Raven cry out in pain.

Richard cried out her name fearfully as he ran to her sprawled body. Koriand'r, infuriated, flew to her still conscious sister and, harder than she had ever hit anything before, punched her in the face. The force of the blow, especially as it cracked her skull between the marble floor and Koriand'r's fist, was finally enough to knock Komand'r out.

Richard held the love of his life on his lap as he cried out desperately for her to respond.

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><p><strong>AN: Is that a tad cruel? I've been trying to use cliffhangers more, since I usually never do. So what do you think? Is it suspenseful? Nerve-wracking? Are you desperate for the next chapter? Review! Cheers  
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	11. The Resolution

**A/N: Meant to put this up last night, but ffdotnet was being a bitch. Enjoy!  
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**Enchanted Mirrors  
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**Chapter Eleven: The Resolution**

When Raven and Koriand'r had first settled in Rapunzel's abandoned tower, it took the princess no time whatsoever to begin training herself to fight. Koriand'r's parents had intended to send her to train with the Warlords of Okaara, but her sister's hostile takeover obviously prevented that. All her anger at her traitorous sister and all her humiliation at her easy defeat bubbled within her, driving her to push her solar power to new heights. Oftentimes, Raven assisted her. As a person who could make an impenetrable shield, she was ideal to assist the passionately enraged Tamaranean.

In the pleasant, sunny valley that surrounded their tower, the two sparred as best they knew how. They took it very gently at first. But as weeks passed and they grew upset with their progress, or lack thereof, they started battling harder. Koriand'r's starbolts held more power. Raven discovered new facets of her powers, and ingenious ways in which to use them.

About three months after arriving on Earth, they had settled, formed a routine, and trained rigorously. It was a normal day. Koriand'r was testing the limits to her starbolts, and in order to prevent burning the forest down, she hurled them ferociously at Raven's shield. She directed the fury she needed to feel to release her starbolts at Komand'r. She made herself angrier and angrier with each blast of green energy.

_Boom_. Komand'r flicking away her best shot with practiced ease.

_Boom_. Her parents in a dungeon, where Komand'r had tossed them, like criminals.

_Boom, Boom_. Being given to the Gordanians on her own sister's orders.

The young princess couldn't hear Raven calling, "That's enough," but Raven felt anger poisoning Koriand'r's thoughts dangerously. When she thought there was a respite from the green blasts, Raven lowered her shield to fly over and calm down Koriand'r.

The seeming pause in her friend's blasts, however, was merely to charge up a stronger blast, and as Raven's shield dissolved, the princess released the blast. Raven could not act swiftly enough, could not teleport out of the way or even raise a shield. The blast hit her square between her widened-with-shock eyes.

In her guilt and weeping, Koriand'r had forgotten Raven's healing powers until the moment her friend began floating inexplicably in the air.

While Koriand'r watched in awe and anticipation, Raven's mind washed of all thoughts and emotion. Healing was like the best meditation. Her mind retreated from her body so she wouldn't feel the pain, blissfully empty.

After several minutes, the process was complete, and Raven was left with no evidence of the friendly fire except a strong aftertaste in her mouth and a crying, guilty best friend. She moved her tongue around in an effort to rid herself of the taste, but found it very stubbornly coating her taste buds. It tasted nutty, like toasting almonds, or some such thing.

Over the years, as two women training themselves with no supervision would undoubtedly sustain injuries, Raven learned that healing different wounds left distinctively different aftertastes. Regular burns from fire tasted different, like burning hickory, only not so pleasant. Healing lacerations tasted rather metallic and nauseating, any sort of infection or the like tasted sour, like lemons, and so on. But Raven always associated nuts with starbolt burns, and starbolt burns with nuts. Though she often saw them sold at market Raven could never bring herself to eat nuts.

Nearly six years later and she got hit dead-on by another starbolt. Before she began healing- which she had no doubt whatsoever she would, since she would _never_ permit an annoyance like Komand'r to kill her- she cried out at the admittedly excruciating pain, in a display of weakness for which she hated herself. She heard Richard calling her name, Koriand'r's roar of rage, and the distinct sound of a bone crack. If she knew Koriand'r, and she certainly did, then she could be positive the cracking bone was Komand'r's, and probably her skull. She would have smiled at that, but her face muscles were busy in a grimace.

She couldn't really feel her head being placed on someone's knees, as her nerve endings were on fire with the pain from the extremely powerful blast. Then her body started to lift as her subconscious took over the process of healing, and she saw, heard, felt, tasted, and thought nothing. Until the welcome, though unpleasant, taste of burning nuts settled on the back of her tongue, and she knew her body was once again unscathed by battle.

As she came to consciousness, she saw faces around her. She hated attention. Richard took her hand and squeezed it, smiling in relief, but she rolled her eyes at the worry he must have felt. She wasn't so fragile as to necessitate worry over a little scald.

She swirled her tongue across the inside of her mouth, trying futilely to swipe away that unpleasant, nostalgic flavor that lingered. Richard looked at her curiously, his eyes asking what was wrong. She shrugged dismissively, and he didn't press the matter. He knew her better than to pester her about the unimportant.

Suddenly, the two seconds of peace her friends had given her as she regained consciousness was interrupted by Koriand'r's exuberant cries.

"Oh, my dearest friend, I was so worried! I was afraid my sister had killed you, and I do not know what I would do if you were not by my side!" the returned Princess gushed shrilly, finally bursting from waiting for Raven to catch her breath, as she squeezed her friend in a tight hug. For once, Raven didn't push her away, just sat still in her friend's powerful arms.

Eventually though, the Azarathian rolled her eyes at the length of the Tamaranean's hold. She pulled back, saying, "Okay, that's enough, Kory. You have work to do. You have to get your planet in order and take your place as the heir to the throne, remember?"

"Oh, yes," the red head said quietly. She got to her feet. She did not smile, a rare occurrence for the generally very happy girl. "My friends, I have been ignoring the fact that I will have to remain on Tamaran now that Komand'r has been defeated. Earth has become my home in these past years, especially since it is where I met three of my best friends." She smiled at Richard, Victor and Garfield, who smiled back, though a bit sadly; they knew where this conversation was headed.

Koriand'r continued, "I will very much miss the planet that sheltered me. However, Raven is right, and I must take my place as the only heir to the throne. I have a duty to my planet." She looked to be on the verge of tears. The idea of farewells was very painful to her large heart. On Earth, she had grown too comfortable and happy with her exile.

"Kory," Raven said as she stood up. She didn't say anything further, just rested a supportive hand on her best friend's shoulder. To comfort her friend, she didn't need to say anything. They knew each other too well to require excess words.

Koriand'r abruptly turned to face the shorter girl, swinging her red mane behind her, her face full of hope. She started, "Raven…"

Curious, Raven raised an eyebrow. Not often did Koriand'r not know what to say, since she usually just said whatever she felt. "Go on," she prompted.

Encouraged, she emphatically said, "Raven, you already abandoned your home in Azarath to help me once. I hate to selfishly ask you to abandon another home, but it would make me more happy than anything if you would stay on Tamaran with me."

Raven shouldn't have been surprised; of course Koriand'r would want her best friend with her as she relearned how to live on her home planet, as royalty once more. She just never considered what she would do after this battle. She always thought about what Koriand'r would do, where Koriand'r would go.

Thoughtlessly, Raven found herself agreeing, "If you stay, I will, Kory."

"Raven," Richard said questioningly. His eyes looked hurt. Raven's opened wide as she realized what she had just implied. "Does that mean you're saying no?" His voice sounded resigned, but the empath could sense how truly heartbroken and betrayed he felt.

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant," she said breathily to him. Raven looked between her best friend of ten years and the man she loved. She had to choose between the two people she cared about more than anyone else, and it hurt. But she knew who she had to choose.

She turned to the confused Tamaranean princess and told her, regretfully, "I'm sorry, Kory, I wasn't thinking." She took Richard's hand and smiled at him. She turned back and continued, "I'm going to marry Richard. And he has his kingdom back on Earth… I'm going to stay there with him." As she said it, she felt Richard's conflicting joy and guilt, as well as his arm wrap around her waist.

Instead of looking upset, Koriand'r smiled widely, and somewhat falsely. "Oh, friends, I am most happy for the both of you! We shall still contact each other, of course. And I am sure it would not be hard to visit each other occasionally! We were friends for years without seeing each other; we can still be now."

Raven relaxed into Richard's embrace at her friend's effervescent, though forced, optimism. The guilt of the couple dissipated a tiny fraction.

Suddenly, Koriand'r gasped, and everyone jumped, thinking another attacker had come, or Komand'r had woken up, or, Raven worried, the princess was offended by the kiss Richard had been about to give give his fiancée.

"I just remembered," she exclaimed and the group relaxed and listened now that they knew no one was attacking them, "We must go release my parents from the dungeons!"

Without further ado, she rushed to the doors of the throne room and threw them open. There stood the group of guards that had brought them into the castle but hadn't wanted to fight. The group still in the destroyed ballroom all realized that they had forgotten the group in all the fighting and proposing and such.

The four watched as the princess gave orders to the guards. They were out of earshot, but they could see her point to Komand'r's prone body, as well a hallway that Raven remembered led to the dungeons, where the real monarchs were still kept. The guards shook their heads and started telling their princess something. She nodded before flying back to her friends.

"They have agreed to take Komand'r to the dungeons. But they tell me," she told her watching friends, "that my parents have been living in a guarded chambers for several years now, and acting as advisors to Komand'r."

Raven asked, eyebrow raised, "She didn't keep them in the dungeon? I would have thought she would want to keep them under strict lock and key."

Koriand'r hummed in agreement. Victor stepped up with a big grin, asking, "Well, are you going to go see them?"

A guard lead them to the heavily reinforced doors behind which Koriand'r could once again be reunited. The walk there felt awkward, as Raven walked with Richard, both feeling guilty for their prospective departure, and Koriand'r occasionally glanced at them with, Raven sensed, jealousy.

Raven realized for the first time that her best friend had developed a strong crush on her fiancé. That added more guilt, and made her more tense and awkward around the two people she cared most about. She knew her friend hadn't lied when she said she was happy for them- she was disappointed, but not resentful. Still, Raven hated when her friends were in pain, and she always felt their pain distinctly with her empathic powers.

Victor and Garfield sensed the strange atmosphere, and did understand the source, but stayed out of their friends' affairs. They looked forward to meeting the monarchs of a race of aliens, and then returning to their own planet, before their king killed them for disappearing with the crown prince.

The doors barring Koriand'r's reunion with her parents stood strong and tall at the end of the palace's East Wing, the opposite end from her own destroyed study. Ornate engravings and intricate woodwork on the doors stood the test of the dictatorship and brought Koriand'r back to memories of her childhood home's former grandeur. Hope filled her large heart as the guards opened the doors, revealing a fairly simply furnished, but comfortable enough room. She wondered why her sister had been so kind in arranging these quarters.

For the first time since she was twelve, Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran saw her father and mother, King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r of Tamaran. They sat together on a couch in the sitting room of the suite, clutching a young, red-headed boy between them.

Koriand'r shook with happiness as she took a step to her parents. "Mother," she half-sobbed. "Father!"

Without further ado, she flew like a rocket from pure happiness into her parent's arms as they stood to embrace her, leaving the boy on the couch. The reunited family stood in the comfort of each other's arms for a long time, before Koriand'r pulled back and told them seriously, "The throne is yours once again. Komand'r has been defeated."

"By you?" her father asked. At her nod, he hugged her again proudly. "Thank you, my daughter. I am so sorry we failed you when she invaded."

Koriand'r shook her head tearfully, protesting, "That was no fault of yours, my father. Komand'r was a powerful and wily adversary. It was only with the help of my friends that I was able to have a fair match and defeat her."

Queen Luand'r rushed to Raven at that moment and hugged her as strongly as her daughter ever had. "Thank you so much," she whispered to the shocked empath, who melted into the hug with the sincere words of the monarch. "We survived all these years with the hope you gave us. And you came through. We are eternally in your debt."

Raven blushed at the praise as the Queen let her go and stepped back. "It was nothing. Anything for a friend as good as Kory," she said modestly. Richard caught her hand with his and kissed the top of her head fondly. His movement brought Her Majesty's attention to the three men, and she thanked them all sincerely, individually, introducing herself like a true noble woman.

Meanwhile, the young boy had gotten off of the couch and gazed up at Koriand'r as she discussed the planet's economic and political environment with her father. Feeling neglected and curious, he pulled at Koriand'r's long red hair, making her look down at him. The boy looked around four or five, but was stout, carried himself strongly, and his eyes gleamed with intellect.

"Father, who is this?" she asked as she knelt down to the child's eye level. When he held his arms to be picked up, she obliged, good-naturedly lifting him into her powerful arms and allowing him to rest his hands on her shoulders and look at her face. She smiled at him and he grinned back hugely.

"Koriand'r," King Myand'r began, "This is your younger brother, Ryand'r. Your mother got pregnant while we were in the dungeons, so we bargained with Komand'r to relocate to somewhere more comfortable, and became her advisors in exchange. We were… worried what Komand'r might have done to him before he reached an age to take the throne."

Koriand'r hardly listened to her father after she heard 'brother.' Scenarios ran through her quick mind, filling her with hope. Maybe she could have the life she wanted. She ran an idea by her father and young brother.

Koriand'r's squeal of happiness interrupted the Queen's introduction to Garfield. She, Raven, and the boys turned to see their friend jumping up and down, firmly holding onto the young boy they had seen when they entered. The princess flew back over to them, with a smile larger than they had ever seen her wear. Raven honestly wondered how her face didn't hurt, grinning like that.

"Friends, I would like for you to meet my brother, Ryand'r," Koriand'r said joyously. As soon as she saw her friend's expression, combined with a brother, Raven knew what her friend was thinking, and chuckled happily. Richard looked at her smirk, confused, and caught on. He had been raised most of his life in a royal family, so he knew how this would work.

"I have discussed it with my father," Koriand'r said, "and although it pains me to leave, I have decided to return to Earth, my home, with my friends. Ryand'r will take the throne when he is older. I know he will make an excellent ruler, and this relieves my guilt of abandoning my duty."

Raven continued to simply smile, while Victor, Garfield, and Richard happily congratulated Koriand'r on her decision. Her life, it seemed, was becoming fair near perfect. Joy brought a pretty twinkle to her violet eyes.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, folks, sorry for that long wait. This chapter took a while, and I wanted to finish my last Skip Beat story first. Anyway. One more chapter and this story is done.**

**Coming up: Robin introduces his other-dimensional half-demon fiancée, Raven, to his adoptive father King Bruce. That should be… interesting.**

**REVIEW! Cheers!**


	12. The Epilogue

**Enchanted Mirrors**

**Epilogue**

Three horses broke the line of trees at a canter, unnoticed by the small town on the next hill that was their destination. The horse in the lead carried a young man and a woman, both of whom held themselves with grace and dignity, and the two steeds that trailed just behind each carried a young but strong man. All three men pulled gently on their horses' reigns, slowing to a walk as they approached the village. The sky darkened to dusk as they passed the first houses and searched for an inn.

A woman walking down the town's main street pointed them towards the nicer inn of the town, and, after thanking her, the party headed in that direction. Their knocks on the door of the inn were answered by a kindly older woman, who called a stable boy to take their horses to be rubbed down, fed, and, after the group informed her that they intended to stay the night, settled down to sleep for the night.

They paid for three rooms: one room for the young woman of the party who, the proprietress undoubtedly noticed, did not wear a wedding ring (but did wear a strange cloak over a very revealing dress, which the proprietress decided to overlook in light of the young woman's dignity of presence and refined mode of speech, and her lodging separately from her male companions), one room for the handsome young man who hovered close to the dark-haired young woman, and another room for the two soldier-looking fellows. Before they went to their beds, however, they asked after dinner, and received the favorable answer that they were not too late.

Over a welcome meal of stew and freshly baked bread, the party discussed their plans for the upcoming day. It would see the completion of their journey.

"Remember, when you first meet him, he's going to be watching for weakness. He's a quick judge of character, and he's almost always right," the youngest man with the jet-black hair coached the young woman seriously.

The woman seemed to repress an undignified snort before eying her companion with a smart look and saying, "Relax Richard. I know how to handle self-important monarchs. Azar knows I've had to deal with enough of them in my life."

The man, Richard, replied huffily, "You may think you're ready for him, Raven, but no one knows Bruce like I do. No one is ever ready to stand up to him."

"Not even you?" she challenged saucily. Their companions seemed content to ignore their intimate, almost scandalous conversation.

"I can handle Bruce just fine," he defended.

Raven had a knowing look in her eye as she said, "Trust me, I can take care of myself. Whether or not he likes me is none of my concern; I will show him my true self, whether that is what he wants or not, because _I'm_ what _you _want. Right?"

Richard sighed in defeat. "Right."

Raven took his hand in hers and the conversation dropped for a time. They finished their meal happily, and the innkeeper's wife served tea. Over her cup of tea, Raven looked to be considering something.

"Is something troubling you, darling?" Richard asked. She nearly gagged at the pet-name.

"Nothing at all, _sweetheart_." She emphasized the final word in such a way that Richard understood perfectly, as she had hoped. She continued, "However, I would like to ask you for something."

"What's that?"

"Little as I care for the high opinions of people I've never met, I still have my pride, and I do not wish to damage it by riding into the house of your father, the king of the realm, riding double with you. It's embarrassing. Don't be offended."

"Not at all. So what are you asking for? Do you want a horse?" he clarified.

"Yes, I would like a horse of my own to ride tomorrow. It did not matter much in the beginning of our journey, but as I said, my pride demands a degree of independence before your father. So if it is not too much trouble...?"

Richard nodded. "We can get a horse in this town's stables and a palace servant can return it tomorrow."

"Thank you," she gave him one of her rare sincere smiles and he returned it.

They very soon after went to their respective beds to get some sleep. For all her posturing, Raven was- not afraid- but anticipating her introduction to the man who raised the man she loved. She never slept very much, but that night she got less than usual. However, she did not let it show through her cool exterior come morning.

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><p>They gathered and ate breakfast before eight in the morning. The trip into the capitol would only take them a few hours at a walk, so they expected to arrive there by noon. Richard, saddle-weary and missing his home more than a bit after a year's absence, was excited to hit the trail, but did not forget to visit a horse stable to borrow a horse. The mare's coat shone a clean, gleaming black that he thought would suit his fiancée. He paid for the beast and promised him returned by the next evening.<p>

Raven, mounted on her steed, sat steadily side-saddle. Her familiarity with the saddle surprised her companions; she had ridden astride throughout their whole week-long trip, yet that morning while Richard had fetched her horse she had changed into a court lady's dress, vastly different from her usual, and rode like a lady, more comfortably than most nobles. Her dress, apparently bought in the last town they visited, was plain and dark blue like her former attire, but the one she wore that day was in the style of the kingdom: it did not bare the lengths of her legs, which had scandalized wives and engrossed husbands and teenaged boys all along their journey.

So sitting and so dressed, Raven beckoned her confused companions onward and tugged her horse onto the path that would bring them to the capitol. The three men looked at each other, then back at Raven, shrugged, and followed. Richard moved fastest to walk his horse alongside his future wife.

As the sun rose in the sky, the hours passed and the travelers grew weary. Raven, though comfortable riding side-saddle and wearing a dress, grew vexed at the inconvenience- not that her companions could see this from her face. Every once and a while, though, above Victor and Garfield's bickering and complaining, Richard heard her sigh, and tried his best to assure her that they would see the capitol within an hour.

An hour and a half later, Raven was almost ready to admit to her discomfort in the form of the question, "Are we there yet?" when they scaled a grassy hill and stopped in the face of the busy, dark, gritty capitol of the kingdom, Gotham City. The dark buildings, numerous dark allies, and ominous gargoyles gave most visitors the shivers. Raven, however, perked up in her saddle, sure that the city suited her just fine. Though the idea of becoming Queen had not fully set in- likely because she had never seen Richard in such a habitat, ruling alongside the king- she felt that she could rule a city like this. This city, and the whole kingdom by extension, needed rulers who did not fear it, who could take hold and lead reform. She smiled. That this truly would become her kingdom harked of dreams.

But before she had any more thoughts of this vein, she had to gain the king's approval to marry Richard. They approached the palace.

She was absolutely not nervous. She did not _do_nervousness.

A guard recognized Richard and ushered them into the entrance chamber. The huge wooden doors slammed shut unforgivingly.

Not nervous at all.

While they waited for the King to be informed of their arrival, Richard tried to distract himself and Raven by pointing out areas of the castle which they could see from the hall where they stood. He pointed ahead to the doors of the throne room, where Bruce undoubtedly was; a staircase that led to a hall that led to a hall where his room could be found; a portrait of his grandparents, King Thomas and Queen Martha, who had been struck down by a plague, leaving a very young Bruce to take up the mantle as King, with the help of their most trusted advisor, Alfred Pennyworth, who acted as regent for a few years while Bruce grew up.

And then the doors opened wide, and they were allowed in to an audience with His Majesty, King Bruce.

Raven doubted herself for a moment- just one fleeting wisp of a moment that slipped from her mind without sticking. And at that moment of quasi-hesitation she mentally shook and ridiculed herself, and her pride brought courage back in full force to face her opposition. The useless emotions were metaphorically ripped out and crushed by Raven before she calmly and confidently followed after her love.

"Announcing His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Richard Wayne, Sir Victor Stone, Sir Garfield Logan, and Miss Raven Roth," a servant shouted into the chamber as they entered before closing the door. His exit left only the party of four, the King, and Alfred Pennyworth in the throne room.

Without ceremony, Richard ran forward to his father, who stood and stepped forward as well. Richard's party followed slowly, watching as the two men embraced. It started awkwardly, as if they never displayed affection so blatantly, but eventually the two strong, proud men softened enough to admit, without words, how much they each cared for the other, and how very much they had missed each other.

Raven saw the scene happily. It gave her, deep down in a part of herself which she hardly acknowledged, a warm feeling to see the man she would marry show how much capacity for love he had. He thrilled her with his every move. Her eyes softened with affection.

The two men stepped back, and Bruce observed his son. "It's good to see you, Dick," he admitted warmly, using the nickname only Richard's parents had ever used. Richard was a fine name for a future king; Dick was a nickname for a common man. It used to hurt Richard to hear the name spoken, after his parents' deaths; but after a time, it made him feel closer to Bruce, and closer to his late parents. After a time, he allowed himself to be happy with his luck. Not all orphans became crown princes, he knew.

"I'm sorry I didn't write very often. I have missed you," Richard answered.

"You realize that you will have to tell me what exactly you were doing? I don't believe a word of the cockamamie story you fed me in your letters," Bruce challenged his son. They were both experts in discovering secrets. A dangerous trait for a King, as if could incite dangerous intrigues, if he didn't know how to use it. Both Bruce and Richard, however, did. Richard shrugged his shoulders in an undignified gesture. "Sure, later, but first, I need to introduce you to someone."

"The 'Miss Raven Roth' who was announced, I imagine?" Bruce guessed. Richard took a few steps back and pulled Raven away from the shadowed wall where she had hid out of sight. Though he pulled hard in his excitement, she did not stumble, and walked with grace and elegance before the King's throne. When squarely in front of him, she dipped into a ladylike curtsey, impressing the party, who were used to seeing courtiers attempt such an attractive feat daily.

"Your Majesty," she said evenly.

"It's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Roth," King Bruce said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "And how did my son perchance to meet you?"

Raven's lips twitched into what could almost be considered a smirk. Her eyes were where Bruce could really see her amusement. "Oh, he found me as he was hacking his way through a supposedly witch-inhabited forest. I saved him from wandering it forever."

"Is that so?" Bruce looked at his son a bit indulgently. Richard felt like an idiot. He wondered if Raven really had to put it that way. Bruce continued, "Well then, I suppose I have you to thank for his safe return, considering the two knights I sent off after him haven't returned until now." His glare at Victor and Garfield made them gulp.

"Not quite," Raven disagreed, defending her friends. "Actually, it's my fault he's been gone so long."

"Oh? How's that?" Bruce asked, carefully keeping his voice light and free of suspicion.

"Well, that's a long story," Richard interrupted. He didn't want to explain all he had witheld to his father quite yet. "We can tell you later, the important thing-"

"No, wait, Richard," Raven stopped him, "There's nothing wrong with telling him now." Raven had a look in her eye that said she knew he was uncomfortable after lying to Bruce for a year, and thought her deserved it. She had always told him that lying was pointless and would lead to this situation later. Now she just had to rub it in a little. She couldn't help it. She loved being right.

"Yes, do tell me now. So how much of Dick's 'training men to fight so they can reclaim their home' story was true?" Bruce said.

"All except the 'men' part, Your Majesty," Raven told him.

In short order Raven explained why she and her friend Princess Koriand'r of the planet Tamaran had needed assistance, and how Richard had stumbled upon them just as they began to give up hope. She briefly related that Richard had trained them, described the arrival of Victor and Garfield, and discussed how Komand'r found them. She gave no details of their actual battle on Tamaran except that they won, and that they expect Koriand'r to return to Earth shortly; she had been delayed by some duties on her planet, and had wanted to spend a few weeks with her parents before leaving them again. She told him that Koriand'r had set the ship in which they returned to Earth to arrive at the tower, and they had travelled for a week to arrive in the capitol. The whole story took less than five minutes in the short way Raven told it. She made it sound empty of suspicion and perfectly natural. Still, throughout the retelling Bruce's eyebrows crept higher on his forehead as he looked between the woman and his son.

"You're a witch, you say?" was his only question.

"Not truly, but you can call me that. If you wish," was her enigmatic answer.

"Prove it."

Raven didn't blink. She raised her arms parallel to the ground. Her eyes changed, violet to a bright, unnatural glowing white. The ground no longer supported her feet; she floated above it. Bruce's eyes widened. Objects around the room, chairs, the King's throne, a vase, a historic sword on the wall, all shuddered in their perch as they became coated in a black energy, and lifted slowly off the ground. They held still half a meter above the stone floor for several silent seconds before they smoothly returned to their places in tandem with Raven's lowering arms. She dropped back on the floor silently, and shining white eyes gave way to unique purple irises.

"Well, Dick, you've certainly had an eventful year. Training an alien and a witch to fight," Bruce mused. He seemed to be recovering from the revelation fairly easily. She supposed he had seen many oddities and unique qualities during his reign. After a few moments, Bruce continued, "It's funny, actually, how none of your letters mentioned such events." He put his hand to his chin in a mock thoughtful pose.

Richard lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "How would you have believed me if I wrote you that, Bruce? You would have had someone find me and put me in that new Arkham Asylum with that homicidal clown you arrested a couple years ago."

Bruce shrugged his shoulders a bit. The highly casual movement shocked the two knights, who had thought their king too dignified to employ such a commoner's gesture.

"Well, I suppose that's true. And I can see why you felt compelled to stay," Bruce smiled secretly at Raven, who felt a small amount of hope for the king's approval grow in her chest. She smiled back.

"Ah, well, Bruce, that's something we need to talk to you about," Richard said. Bruce quirked an eyebrow, still smiling, and Richard continued, "Raven and I have decided to marry."

Bruce's smile slipped. His eyes narrowed. Raven's hope shattered in her breast.

"Excuse me?" Bruce said incredulously.

Raven tried to speak, "Your Majesty-"

"Be quiet," Bruce growled. Raven's pride rose up again in her defense.

"I must ask you not to speak to me in that manner," she said primly. No one noticed Victor and Garfield leaving the room; this fight was none of their business, they thought.

"I told you-"

"Yes, I heard you, Your Majesty. You are acting in a most unjust manner, and with all due respect I ask you to apologize."

Bruce sighed. "I apologize for my behavior, and that you were offended. However," he turned to Richard, "this must tell you something of my opinion of your declaration."

"It appears unfavorable," Richard said gravely. Raven snorted, but refrained from making a comment about pointing out the obvious.

"I told you to find a princess for a wife. I suggested that she be in peril and that you save her. Fighting for a woman is much easier than trying to get her to fall in love with you. It's family tradition, Richard. I know you find it stupid, but you had yet to find a partner on your own, so I had hoped this would encourage you. But you come back after a year long sabbatical and tell me that you're marrying a witch? You cannot have believed I would simply accept that."

"You were getting along along with her fine just a moment ago. It didn't bother you that she's a witch. Why does it now?"

"You are a prince, Richard. You must marry a princess, and she is-"

"Princess of Azarath."

Bruce and Richard both looked with surprise at Raven. Her sudden declaration shocked them both.

Richard still in shock at this secret of his fiancée's, Bruce recovered first. "Where is this _Azarath_? I've never heard of it."

"You shouldn't have. It is an dimension inhabited by a temple of pacifists, led by the goddess, Azar. The title is passed from mother to daughter. However, the current Azar has no children. Instead, she has transferred the title to my mother upon her death. Which makes me the heir to the throne of Azarath. Although they do not use such terms in the temple of Azarath, I believe that makes me what you would call a princess. Is that the only requirement for my marriage to Richard?"

Richard's eyes questioned his wife-to-be, and her eyes told him she was truthful. He was still shocked over the news. Bruce again spoke, "This is ridiculous, you expect me to believe that this dimension exists and you just _happen_ to be princess of it?"

"I could take you there," Raven offered. The look on Bruce's face said it all. "I didn't think so. Well, Koriand'r has been there and can confirm it, but we shall have to wait a few days to hear from her. Other than my word, at the moment I suppose I cannot prove my home's existence. However, I do not lie, Your Majesty, and I think you will just have to trust me on that."

Despite himself, Bruce found much to admire in the young woman. She was fierce, determined, a fighter. Gotham City and the rest of the kingdom needed a Queen like her. During his reign he had denied them a Queen to care for the more personal side of his country, and he regretted that. If only he had gotten Selina Kyle to marry him. She was a fierce woman just like Raven.

But he would not think of that now.

Instead, he had to deal with the situation at hand. In his head, he added the facts: take the fact that his son had finally chosen a bride, she was intelligent, dignified, ladylike, powerful, and a suitable Queen, and subtract the fact that she was a witch, claimed to be royalty in a place of unconfirmed existence, and had not looked kindly at his obviously smitten son the entire time they had been speaking, and he could not tell if the answer was negative or positive.

"Alfred, will you show Miss Roth to a guest suite. Richard, go rest as well. You both look dead on your feet," Bruce said out of nowhere. It was only a partial lie: while both looked exhausted, they were obviously ready to argue with him all night. But he needed time to think before he formed an opinion on this.

"But Bruce," Richard protested.

"Just go, son. We will continue this discussion in the morning."

The city clock tower had only rung five in the afternoon, but Raven first, followed by Richard, followed the kind old advisor out of the throne room, and to their chambers to rest until morning.

* * *

><p>Raven tossed the coverlet off of her and slouched out of the bed. Hunched at the shoulders, the young woman walked over to the window of the guest chambers and gazed out at the starry night. She sighed.<p>

She draped her cloak over her shoulders to cover her white nightgown and lurched out the door and into the deserted hallway. Padding along on bare feet she attracted no attention. Her walk remained solitary all the way to the courtyard.

Taking huge gulping breaths once she reached the outdoors, Raven half collapsed onto a stone bench. The palace had constricted her. Now with fresh air in her lungs, her emotions came loose, and she repressed a sob.

Raven knew how much Richard respected his father. She knew how much he cared about his kingdom.

She had no idea if she was enough to make him defy the King.

On Tameran she had made her commitment very clear, promising to marry him even when she would have lost her best, and for so long her only, friend. Could she expect the same from him? Even worse, could she accept it if he chose his kingdom over her?

She wouldn't accept it, no. She would _not_ disgrace herself, break down, but she would never get over it. Richard had worked his way into her heart and would _never_ leave it, even if he left _her_.

Drawing a shuddering breath, Raven wiped a couple of tears from her cheeks. She saw no point returning to bed now. She would never sleep. Instead she pulled her legs up on the bench and crossed them into the lotus position. Once situated, she held up her hands in her meditative position and chanted her mantra, the one taught to her by Azar.

She meditated only for a couple of minutes before she heard the palace door reopen. She opened one eye to inspect whoever had interrupted. Her pulse sped as the King locked eyes with her and began approaching.

"Miss Roth," he greeted when he stood before her. "Could you not sleep?"

She shook her head, looking up at him warily.

"I couldn't either," he stated. He gestured to the half of the bench that she did not occupy. "May I?"

"If you wish, Your Majesty," she quietly answered. He sat.

They were silent a moment, and Raven uncrossed her legs and lowered her hands. She would get no more meditation tonight. This man wouldn't let her rest, would he?

"You know, I've always regretted not having a Queen. Not just because I never had a son," he suddenly began, hushed, "but because I feel like my people have missed something from not having a leader to take care of the more social and moral aspects of the kingdom. I was never good at that side. I can lead wars and handle taxes, and I can clean up crime in the cities, but during the winter season, parties and balls bore me, and I'm not the best host. When reform movements start, I have to leave that on Alfred's overflowing plate, because I can't figure out what they really want. And the last time a plague hit I couldn't comfort the families properly because instead of a beautiful, kind Queen encouraging them to pull through, they got me.

"That's part of the reason why I wanted Richard to find a wife. Because she would help him lead this kingdom when I'm gone." He sighed heavily. "But the main reason is that I just want him to be happy. I want to know that he has a companion who loves him and will take care of him."

Raven looked wonderingly at the suddenly loquacious monarch. "Your Majesty…?"

Bruce looked her in the eye. "I can believe that you come from another dimension and your best friend came from another planet. Hell, I'll even believe you're a princess of the place. God knows I've seen stranger things during my reign. And I can accept that you're some kind of witch. That doesn't bother me. But what I _couldn't_ accept was that not _once_, in the entire time you were with him in the throne room, _not once_ did you smile at him, or give _any_ sign that you love him. And he so obviously loves you."

Raven gaped speechlessly as Bruce gave her a hard look. He stood. He had said what he needed to, and now he could sleep.

"I do love him."

Bruce turned, eyebrow raised.

Raven slowly let a breath out. It quivered slightly, the hitch in her throat coming back from before her very brief meditation. Bruce noticed.

For a moment, he actually looked at the state of her, instead of glaring. Her eyes were slightly rimmed red; she had been crying before he arrived. So she could show emotions, he thought.

"I love him more than _anything_. And as long as he'll have me I intend to marry him. So if you want to stop it, you'll have to talk to _him_," her voice cracked on the final word, fear that Richard would truly abandon her breaking through her determination.

"And what would you do if he decided not to have you?" Bruce asked.

_A cruel man_, Raven thought. She swallowed to clear her thick throat and answered, "I don't know. Maybe I would go back to Azarath, or Kory and I could go to Tameran. I won't decide that until a time comes to make it necessary."

"If you love him, why do you treat him so coldly?"

"It's not my nature or my upbringing to be open with my emotions. I show more when it's just the two of us."

"How can I believe that you honestly care for him? There are other women, you know, that love him, and are suitable to marry him."

Raven coughed into her fist, disguising a sob. "I don't need to prove anything to Your Majesty. Richard is the only one who needs to see that I love him, and he does, he knows, so that should be enough for you!" Raven blushed at the volume her voice had reached.

Bruce, however, smiled. He walked up to the girl who normally stood so tall and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I believe you," he said gently.

She looked up at him, surprise and tears in her purple eyes. Overcome by the sudden rush of waterlogged happiness, she dove her tear-streaked face into the King's chest. He gently wrapped powerful arms around her as she cried out of relief. _Not such a cruel man_, she decided, _just protective_.

Even if the King never approved of her marriage to his son, Raven could live with it now, because he _believed_ her. He believed she had _emotions_, he believed that she _truly loved_ his son. And that made Raven happier than she would have ever imagined.

Bruce smiled warmly at the suddenly fragile young woman his son loved. He made a decision for them: they would marry within a month. They both deserved happiness.

THE END

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And that's it people. Sorry this took so long. OMG I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS SINCE APRIL? Oh, I'm awful. I'm sorry, I have no excuses.

But hey, at least I finished it before I left. (I'm leaving on Tuesday guys, I'm so excited- if you have no clue what I'm talking about, see my bio page if you care- after reviewing, of course).

**Review! It's been a pleasure writing this, I hope it's been a pleasure reading! Cheers!**


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